Half Dead World: Book One from the Apocalypse Tales by Adrienne Hargrove (little readers txt) 📗

He grabs my hand and steps in closer as he grins at me, and this time I know what’s coming. My heart starts pounding. I take a deep breath, inhale the sweet scent of the nearby jasmine, and think about the perfection of this moment. I am standing in a beautiful garden drenched in moonlight about to kiss Jackson Armstrong again! His lips are there, only a breath away from touching mine. And then Wilder careens into Jackson and immediately sprints in the other direction. “Mom said to tell you dad is eating all your dessert.”

Jacksons face is red with fury as he turns to scream at his brother. “Just wait you little punk, you have to sleep sometime!” He lets out a frustrated sigh and then turns back to me. “We better go, or my dad really will eat it all.”

As I get into my parents' car an hour later, my first thought is, wow that really was the best dessert I’ve ever eaten. My second thought, is, Woo freaking hoo!!! Jackson kissed me tonight, almost twice. I can’t wait to tell Kirra. My mom turns to look at me and smiles. “So how did it go?”

Still caught up in my Jackson memories I beam a smile back at her. “Great!” Then we reach the end of the driveway and the sky opens up in a down pour. Suddenly, I remember I am furious with them. I stare out the window at the driving rain in hopes of trying to calm my temper and figure out how best to approach them with what I now know. Naturally, it doesn’t work, and I can’t keep the accusatory tone out of my voice when I speak. “So why didn’t you guys tell me Mr. Daxter, hated y'all? It would have been a good thing to know from the start that my teacher was going to have a grudge against me.”

My parents sit in silence and for a second, I think they didn’t hear me because of all the noise from the rain. Then my parents turn and look at each other and I see my dad lift one shoulder in a slight shrug. My mom turns to look at me, her expression is slightly hesitant, like she isn’t sure just how much she should share with me.

“Honey, it’s not that we were trying to keep you in the dark. It’s just that the situation with Mr. Daxter, is somewhat complicated and with you being unsure of your beliefs we didn’t want his negative behavior to influence your decision. Also, in all honesty, Haven, you have to admit you have a bit of a temper, and a hard time controlling your mouth when you lose it. If you knew about our history with Mr. Daxter, you would have assumed he was out to get you with every comment or decision he made.”

“Of course, I would have, because he is in fact out to get me!”

I hear my dad sigh and know he is about to take his turn in trying to make me see their logic, only he doesn’t the chance, because a pair of oncoming headlights suddenly swerve and come flying into our lane. I see my dad grip the steering wheel, knowing there is no time to do anything. The other car hits us head on, I feel an intense jolt, then weightlessness, then pressure and finally pain.

Chapter Five New Rules

I t was just seconds that our car was flying through the air. But it felt like time had stopped all around us, while we were still being catapulted through it. It wasn’t until the car hit the ground, that it seemed like time was able to catch up. Our car must have hit the pine trees that lined the side of the road. Maybe it flipped or I flipped. I can’t tell anything other than it is dark and from the position where I am pinned, I can see rain is hitting the shattered glass on the blacktop of the highway.

“Mom…dad” I try to call out to them, but only a slight moan that escapes my lips. I feel like there is a boulder on my chest and I can’t breathe. I feel a burning in right thigh like it’s on fire. I try to scream, but I can’t get enough breath to do anything more than whimper. I feel hot tears roll down my face and then I start shaking all over. I see a light, like from a flashlight only warmer. I think to myself someone is here to help; we are going to make it. I try to call out to my parents, but again I can’t form the words and some unintelligible noise escapes me instead. The light is moving closer, and I see bare feet walking on the broken glass. Whoever is carrying the flashlight has bare feet - it briefly strikes me as odd, but another wave of pain and fear grip me, and thoughts of bare feet on broken glass disappear as tears stream from my eyes. Suddenly there is a face near mine, the light behind it is bright and I squint to try and see the person who has come to help.

“All is well child. I am here to help you.”

I try to speak try to ask him if he sees my parents, but nothing comes out. He answers anyway as if what I want to ask is written on my face.

“Your parents are fine, do not worry yourself, they have been saved.”

My eyes widen even more as pain comes again, and again like he can read my thoughts straight through my eyes, he responds. I can see him kneeling now outside the broken window his face close to mine.

“You are hurt and frightened, do not be, I