Staking Shadows

Chapter One



Today, we were heading into town, what was left of it anyway. We needed to scavenge supplies for our small band of survivors. I could barely believe it had already been five years since the attack. Five whole years since we'd lost our families and lives to those things, those soul-suckers.

I didn't know how many humans were left around the world, but ten remained in our group. My grandpa and I had rounded up everyone we came across.

But I didn't want to think about that day and the swift attacks that sent us on the run, searching for a place to hide. Only ten left. We'd started as fifteen, but over time, people died, or those creatures captured them for harvesting.

The light from my torch bounced off the walls of the cave, creating eerie silhouettes as I slung my bow over my shoulder. I adjusted the knife secured to my thigh, then peered back at my best friend, Mischa.

Stopping at the fork in the tunnel, I eyed the slash marks on the wall, running my fingers over the two newest slashes. They represented my latest kills, proof I was fighting to survive. I grinned in the dark, almost hoping to run into a soul-sucker or two while on our reconnaissance mission.

"It's nearly dawn. We better get moving if you plan on getting back before darkness sets in," Mischa said behind me.

I doused my torch, then made my way to the mouth of the cave. There, I watched the sky lighten.

"No clouds today." I tipped my head back. "Four full hours of daylight."

Mischa snorted; her white teeth gleamed in contrast with her dark skin. "You make it sound like we should be happy, when we used to have twelve to fourteen hours as kids."

"Yeah, well, that was a long time ago, wasn't it? Don't be such a bitch. Be grateful we have any light at all, or we'd never be safe outside." She seemed to forget I knew the horrific things that happened at night, when they came out to hunt.

Of course, I wasn't happy that the days were becoming shorter and shorter. Ever since the suckers arrived, night dominated us, controlling our lives like a puppet master.

We were lucky as hell after five years they hadn't found our cave. Hidden deep in the woods, we bunkered ten miles from where my grandpa's old cabin stood. The same cabin we'd been staying in over summer vacation when the invasion began.

I closed my eyes against the visions. I didn't want to remember—I needed to focus on the here and now. On surviving for another year. Shit, I'd be happy to see my seventeenth birthday in two weeks.

Sunlight pierced through the trees like sparkling spears. I darted from the cave, letting the warmth touch my skin. My moccasin-covered feet made little noise as I picked an animal trail to follow down to the village.

"So I guess you're not going to talk to me now." Mischa caught up to me.

"Just let me cool off, all right? And quit acting like you're the only one affected by everything."

Mischa kept pace with me. We wove in and out of the greenery, careful not to leave any evidence behind of our existence. We needed a good hour to get into the village. After that, we could spend no more than an hour trying to retrieve supplies. If all went well, we'd be back to the cave with time to spare.

We stayed on the animal trail until we reached the outskirts of the town. I lay down on the ground, peeking through the elderberry bushes for any human guards wandering about. When I didn't see anyone, I hopped to my feet and moved forward with my bow drawn.

Daylight worked in our favor when it came to safety. Soul-suckers didn't come out until dusk, and their human pawns rarely left their sides during this time. Taking a staggered breath, I ambled into Parson's Way, onto the deserted street.

Pockets of weeds and brambles grew up through the cracks in the cement. Cars sat where they'd crashed or been abandoned during the attacks, their windows broken, doors smashed in. Some even held the remains of occupants who hadn't been quick enough to get away. I could still picture their faces. What the suckers hadn't taken, the wild life had. I shuddered, remembering the birds and bugs feasting on human flesh when we'd made our first trips into town after the invasion. Shaking away the memory, I continued forward.

The storefronts were busted in, remnants of glass still on the sidewalks. Tumbleweeds blew down the streets like props in an old west movie. I raised my bow as I scanned the vacant businesses, their advertisements outdated and meaningless now.

"Okay, we need to get to the pharmacy and see if we can get some more antibiotics, children's cough syrup, and cotton sheets to make bandages. Also, need to check what's left of the grocery store for any undamaged canned goods. Doesn't matter how outdated," I whispered.

"Your grandpa suggested we try and grab up some more seeds and blankets, too."

I worried as our supply list grew but said, "While we're here, I have to stop by the library. Ryan needs to keep up on his reading and math."

Mischa rolled her eyes then stared down at me. "What's the point in schooling the younger ones? It's not like they're going to need a degree or something—look around you, Sun."

Clenching my jaw, I turned away from her. She'd given up hope long ago that things would ever go back to the way they were. But I refused to believe the circumstances we lived under now would never change. I wanted more, and I planned on surviving. I would have a life. There had to be others out there somewhere. And maybe, if we banded together, we could take back our world.

"Fine, you don't have to go get books, I will!"

"Sun." Mischa's voice softened, her hand warm on my shoulder.

"Drop the nickname; it isn't going to help." I shook her off. "Some of us want to believe things will turn out okay. If you want to give up, then fine, but let the rest of us hold on to our dreams."

I stalked away from her, heading toward the pharmacy. Something made a noise behind us, a noise that sounded like shuffling feet. I grabbed Mischa's arm and dragged her with me as I dove behind the nearest car. We pressed ourselves against the tangled metal.

Poking my head around the side, I saw a frail woman staggering down the road. She wore a vacant expression and tattered clothes. I noticed bruises along her jaw and her forehead, both indicators that she was one of the harvested and probably a breeder as well.

Next to me, Mischa raised her bow.

I batted it down. "No, she's just a breeder. She's harmless."

"She'll alert the others that we're here," Mischa said from between clenched teeth.

"No. Put the damn bow down. We don't kill our own, only the suckers."

"She's a traitor. How the hell do you think those bastards are surviving?"

I pushed away from my friend and headed down the road. "You're no better than our enemy if you go around killing innocent people."

We were losing our humanity. Even back at the cave, Grandpa and I fought to keep things together, to remind our friends we weren't animals. But it was hard when the best we could do sometimes was stay alive.

Mischa chased after me again, leaving the breeder alone. "What's gotten into you lately? You used to be fun to hang with."

"Sometimes, fun is dangerous, and with Grandpa not getting around very well, I need to step up."

"I know, but that doesn't mean we can't mess around." Mischa jabbed me in the ribs with her elbow. Her long, dark legs stretched out in front of her.

I took bigger steps to keep up.

"Maybe if we get back in time we can take the little ones to the creek for a quick dip." I tried not to smile. Mischa was hard to stay mad at, and she knew it. "Now let's hurry the hell up and get what we came for."

"Why don't you go to the pharmacy and library? I'll hit up the hardware store and grocery."

"Fine, but meet me in front of the gas station in an hour," I whispered over my shoulder as we parted ways.

I ran across the street and down one of the side roads then slipped into the pharmacy. I slung the bow across my shoulder, grabbed my backpack, and stepped over the shelves and bottles on the floor. The supply of children's medicines was getting low, and I didn't know how long the few packs I picked up would last. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I wiped them away with the back of my hand.

What would we do when they ran out? It wasn't like there were people around to make more. Shit! I'd have to sit down with Grandpa tonight. We both knew this moment would come. Perhaps we'd have to venture farther away, into other towns. Sighing, I placed the last ten bottles of children's cold medicine into my bag before moving to grab bandages and anti-bacterial spray.

The next aisle over had toothbrushes, so I picked up a handful of those, too, then went to get more vitamins. After grabbing headache medication for the adults, I wandered into a magazine aisle. Of course, all the news was old and the celebrities long since gone, but it quenched my yearning for a boyfriend.

I only let myself get one magazine per trip, so I wouldn't run out of material. I paged through the magazine with the hot, dark-haired guy on the front. According to the article, he was starring as a werewolf in a new movie coming out in November. He was seventeen in the picture, which meant he'd be twenty-two if he was still alive. I clutched the magazine to my chest.

I spun around, imagining him in my arms, dancing and swaying with me. But it was a dream, because there weren't any guys my age around here and there likely never would be. I'd never have a wedding or kids or a husband. This is my future. I sighed, tossed the magazine into my bag, then walked around to see if I could find some gum or candy to bring back to Heath and Ryan.

Once I got my loaded bag secured on my back, I clutched my bow and headed down toward the library. A clothing store caught my eye. With a quick glance at my watch, I decided I had enough time to go in. I wandered back to the children's clothes, where I picked up the dirtied garments from the floor.

Heath and Ryan both needed pants and sweatshirts if they were going to make it through the chilly nights. I shoved everything into my bag. As I turned to leave, a black dress caught my eye. I pulled it from the hanger, held it against me, and peered into a broken, floor-length mirror. My skin shone pale against the material, my long, blonde hair even lighter. I touched my face, noticing my cheekbones had become more prominent.

Dropping the dress to the floor, I stared at my figure. When had I grown up? The last time I'd come into town, over a year ago, I'd looked like a child, but now a woman's face stared back. My boobs were perky beneath the too-small top I wore. My hips were fuller, making me curvier, almost sexy in the tanned hide skirt Mrs. Wellman had made for me over the winter.

Reaching out, I touched my reflection in the mirror. Would boys think I was pretty? I smiled, revealing perfect white teeth.

"Time to go," I said, tearing myself away from my image. I picked the black dress up and slid it into my bag. Might as well take it with me. It'd do no one any good lying on the floor.

The library was only a few buildings down, but I hesitated when I came to the entrance. Unlike the other places in town, this one had few windows, which meant more shadows. And dark corners for people to hide in. I patted the knife at my side before slipping into the dim room. Books were scattered on the floor and shelves tipped on their sides, while the tables lay busted about the room.

Stepping over bones, I shivered, trying not to stare at the skull. Its accusing eye sockets seemed to follow my every move, as if it blamed me for its death.

"Keep it together," I whispered, hurrying to get what I needed.

I scoured through the kids' books, finding one onmultiplication for Ryan and another one with ABCs for Heath. Then I snuck in acouple romance novels for all of us girls to share. For Grandpa, I collectedsome non-fiction books about weapons and herbal remedies. With the medicationsin town running out, we needed an alternative. But even having the book didn'tmean we'd be able to make anything. It'd depend on whether we could find theingredients.

I checked my watch once more, remembering I needed to pick upbatteries, which I did on the way to the meeting place.

At last, I stood in front of the old gas station, which hadlong since been blown up. It was one of the first things to go when the soul-suckerscame in. Grandpa said they didn't want people to have a way to leave. Theirploy obviously worked; we were still here.

A groan escaped my lips as I stood waiting. "Shit, whereare you." I glanced at the sun hanging lower in the sky. It didn't takethat long to run across town. We were already ten minutes behind schedule.

I paced back and forth for another fifteen minutes beforedeciding to go look for Mischa. She and I alone hunted and made trips intotown. If we lost her, I'd be on my own for providing.

Biting back my fear, I raced down the street, dodging bones andclumps of overgrowth as I went. I wanted to scream my friend's name, but if aguard was hanging around or Mischa was in trouble, I'd only bring us furtherdanger.

"Stay calm," I said.

Daylight started to fade; only a handful of minutes remained untildarkness set in. I ran down the alley that ran next to the pharmacy, mypounding footsteps sounding overly loud. And there stood Mischa, her knifebloody, leaning over the dead breeder woman.

"What the fuck did you do?" My voice echoed off thebricks.

Mischa jumped, then turned to face me. "She would've toldthem we were here."

"You're so stupid. You've just put us in danger." Irushed Mischa and punched her square in the jaw.

She stumbled back; her eyes glittered like a predator,reminding me of a panther. "I saved us."

I laughed. "Saved us? You've just left a dead body herefor the suckers to find. You can't pass it off as one of their kills becausethey wouldn't have wasted her. Not like this." I stared at the blood-drenchedcement beneath the body. "And we've got less than thirty minutes to getout of here now. I hope you're happy."

I spun around and ran away from her, my eyes welling up as Iwent. What the hell was wrong with her? She'd just killed a human. Oneof our kind. I crashed into the woodland, pushing myself to move faster. If Ididn't hurry, I'd have to face them. There was no doubt I could takedown a couple of soul-suckers, but if they traveled in a pack, I would likelydie trying.

Either way, I planned to get back to the cave. Panicoverwhelmed my every step as I tried to hurry without disturbing the plants andshrubbery too much.

"Wait up," Mischa called behind me.

"No," I said. "You keep up."

"I'm sorry. I didn't think."

I didn't answer. Instead, I rushed ahead, putting more distancebetween us. The shadows grew longer, and the last of the daylight melted off,leaving us in blackness. My lungs burned. My calves and legs tightened as wepushed up the incline.

The silence shattered as the distinct sound of screeches andhowls came from the village below. I recognized the low, terrifying shrieks; itwas the noise that the soul-suckers made when they were about to hunt. Andtonight, I had a feeling we were going to be their prey.