Twelve

      Unexpectedly but not surprisingly, Shannon felt that certain numbing feeling that she knew would be followed by an ever increasing weakness. She put her hand to her forehead. “Ohhh.”

      “What?” Kevin asked but he was pretty certain he already knew.

      “Yeah, the darkness is coming. Or the sleep. What ever one wishes to call it. I need to get back to the house. We'll need to start our hunt for the Elitists later.”

     “Okay.”

      Not that weak yet Shannon sped through the forest so fast it was like she was flying, Kevin right with her. In no time at all they were rushing almost head long to the house. Shannon wanted to be in her room when the darkness took her. She could only keep it back for so long.

Glen and Jamie were busy finishing up preparing the dead elk. They didn't take the time nor did they try to be perfect. They knew that lingering would only draw mutated predators to them. The scent of fresh blood was thick on the air already and spreading out wide. Something lethal and hungry could easily scent it. Once they had the meat sliced and drying and the spilled blood was cleaned up as much as possible then they could feel safer letting the meat spend some time outside in the sun drying.

      Shannon stumbled the last few feet to the house and up the steps. Glen and Jamie watched her approach. They knew she was surrendering to one of her black out spells. They thought of it as the sleep of the undead that vampires surrendered to whether they wanted to or not.

     “Get inside to your room Shannon.” Glen said. He couldn't help himself not to feel and act like her father. He and Jamie often worried she would be too far from home when one of these spells came upon her. The warning a spell was coming on seemed awfully short to them.

     Shannon gave him a weak smile. “Sun's going down. You two need to finish up here and get that meat inside. Kevin will dispose of the carcass and clean up the blood out here.” She gave them a fangy smile.

     Just as they were concerned for her Shannon was concerned for them. They were all family here, after all.They all shared a chuckle, pleased that they had others to care for them in this frightening new destroyed world. How awful if they all had been alone still like they had at the beginning of all this.

     Inside the house Shannon found Kelley and Shawn playing with some of the toys they'd found in the cars. “Hi guys.” she greeted them.

The kids stopped playing and looked up at her, smiles of greeting on their faces. “Hi Shannon.” they said simultaneously.

     Shannon's smile grew bigger despite the fact the darkness was rapidly closing in around her. She was glad they seemed to be recovered from their earlier scare. But with so many things that were scary they'd already encountered it was like a survival reflex that they weren't crippled by these frightening encounters.

     In her room on the second floor Shannon stripped out of her jeans and T-shirt and slipped into a knee length nightshirt. There were lots of feminine clothes in this room close enough in her size to wear. She tried to comb her hair in front of a mirror but there were too many rats nests as her Mother use to call them in her hair. She tossed down the comb, giving up. She didn't have time anyway to deal with the knots.

     She got out her picture book of the city of Portland that she'd brought with her. She took it to the bed and sat cross legged on it. She fought off the darkness enveloping her. She wanted to look at the pictures. She opened the book and looked at the pretty, wonderful and glossy pictures of her former city. As she looked she felt something stir deep within her. It was painful. How she missed her city, Portland Oregon. It was now destroyed. All the world must have been destroyed.

    It was destroyed long before it physically fell. The elite around the world who believed themselves to be gods, deciding who should live and who should die. Killing any they considered the useless feeders of the world with GMOs, dangerous and lethal chemicals, killing via medications and vaccinations, chemicals in foods that some killed outright instead of slowly through illnesses. They killed by denying cheap energy, claiming cheap energy was causing global warming or climate change, so many had to go without energy just when they needed it most. People dying because they had to suffer extreme heat or cold. People being pushed into smaller and smaller areas to live claiming it was for sustainability, taking people's property or refusing to let them do anything with it, claiming what they wanted to do was environmentally unsafe. And taking the wealth from those who earned it giving it to people who could work just fine if they wanted to. They killed by rationing health care after the government managed to take total control of it. Why save the old, young and very sick since they didn't contribute to society. And helping to destroy the country by letting illegal aliens into the country and forcing tax payers to support them even though these illegals were breaking all sorts of laws, by entering the country illegally, working in the country illegally, committing drug crimes, raping and murdering citizens and stealing citizens identities. Yes, the world was on the brink of destruction as the Elite around the world did everything they could to push forward their One World Government agenda to be controlled by the United Nations. Destroying the money and economies of the world was bringing the countries down to their knees but then something went wrong. Their plans went too far. What sort of One World Government could they have now?  Shannon felt anger rising up in her again. They would all pay for what they did to the world. They will pay. She smiled a dark smile as her thoughts turned to revenge. She would do her part.

     Shannon's head had a spinning sensation now. She couldn't fight off the sleep any longer. She put her picture book away and laid down on the bed. She heard Kevin scuttling up the side of the house to his room in the attic. Kevin was happy to be with them but he kept himself aloff and slightly apart. He would protect the humans in their family without hesitation but he still kept a distance from them.

     Shannon felt the blackness finally sweeping over her. She couldn't keep it at bay any longer and surrendered to it.

Reviews

[Coyote Song]

Good chapter. It shows how strong Shannon is as is her concern and maybe love for the humans she is living with. Their concern for her isn't in doubt. And just like the mythical vampires she suffers some of the same weaknesses, like dropping off to sleep.

[Coyote Poetry]

I like the history given of the desire of the government. I like the need of the vampires to return home. Good to listen to your senses. A excellent chapter.
Coyote

[Craig2591]

A couple of awkward sentences... "Just as they were concerned for her Shannon was concerned for them." might be better as, "They were just as concerned for Shannon as she was for them." Also... "How awful if they all had been alone still like they had at the beginning of all this." is really awkward to me and doesn't quite make sense.

Otherwise I see no problems.

[Wolf's Dark Song]

I'm really enjoying this story of yours...full of action, adventure and danger plus thrills only this sort of destroyed world can offer. Love your characters too...which makes for me enjoying the story.

[Tina Kline]

Thanks very much. :)

[Star Wolf]

Awesome story. Looking forward to more!

[Eric Cox]

Excellent chapter. This book is a cool read. Excellent work.

[Black Cat Fever]

Great chapter. I'm looking forward to reading more of this.