It's been a few days since I've debuted a new section on the blog, but I wanted to assure you that I have been busy, and the game has been moved along. Here's an excerpt from a recent writing session:
Movement right. I located it through my scope, and saw two Beloved crouched low at the corner of a house, ready to charge us. Firing a gun now would be the equivalent of sending up a flare for all enemies in the area to use as a locator, but there was nothing for it. I stepped toward the threat, clearing Grace out of any possible line of fire, and brought both down cleanly with bursts. The rapid-fire explosions of the bullets out of the rifle sounded like the loudest detonation in the history of mankind in the stillness.
"Okay, they probably know we're here now," Grace said sarcastically.
"Yeah, probably. Come on, follow me," I said, moving to where the Beloved I shot had been hiding. We climbed onto the porch, and crouched down, waiting to see who the rifle blasts would bring.
We didn't have to wait long. The sound of a truck engine grew nearer, and headlights stretched the shadows on the lane, originating from the direction we were heading. The truck crept forward, every occupant scanning the area for us, I knew. I motioned to Grace to do as I did, laying down on the ground, and moving off the porch and into the bushes, overgrown from neglect.
Grace dropped down beside me just as the truck came into view. Through the scope I saw a driver and a passenger, calmly sweeping their heads for movement. Four Beloved were in the truck bed, bobbing around eagerly for any sight of us, which for them meant a tasty treat. It was an interesting pairing, I thought. Leader and Beloved, cold calculation mixed with mindless strength and brutality. With this partnership finally verified, I felt even less hope for human survival. Then again, I reminded myself, if it were easy, then anyone could do it.
We remained motionless, hardly breathing, faces pressed to the earth as the truck moved closer. It was agony, waiting for the sound of brakes being applied and the headlong rush of predators that had spotted their prey, but it never came. The truck moved past the dead bodies, unseen in the darkness where they lay, and the engine note picked up as the vehicle accelerated away. We waited just a moment more to make sure the truck was out of sight, then slowly stood and continued our progress.
The night wore on. Our pace slowed even further, fatigue stealing over us from the late hour and the stress borne of moving so cautiously. We didn't see any more Beloved on foot, and I bet they had found the bodies from the initial ambush and decided that staying in the vehicle would give them a better advantage. At some point in the night, I took the strap off my rifle to rig a makeshift sling for Grace's arm, but other than a whispered "thank you," we remained silent, lost in our thoughts and our unspoken hope that we would survive the night.
The first tentacles of light signifying Dawn's approach broke over the valley. As much as we wished for the morning, we knew that the light worked to the advantage of our pursuers even more. We came out of a suburb onto a main street, and I recognized it as one of the approach roads to Mom's house. So close. We looked for any sign of the enemy, but there was nothing to suggest any danger. We moved along the road as fast as we could, trotting and stumbling as we desperately tried to reach safety.
The sound of a car running fast on the road behind us burned through our elation as surely as a struck match through rice paper. They were coming for us, we wouldn't escape them after all. Summoning what energy reserves we had left, we dashed down the road.
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