Page 89 of Ever After

I glance back at the creatures to see if they’re following, and a sound of disgust escapes me. One of them is eating its fallen comrade. The other one turns toward the wood, head cocking.

“Keep running,” I shout.

CHAPTER 14

BLUE

The next few minutes are a kaleidoscope of scattered images and feelings. Tree branches scrape my face and arms. I can smell grass and hear the sound of my hoarse breaths. Every time I look back, there’s nothing to see, but I can still feel that tide of evil surging.

“Why, yes. Do let’s get on with the next chapter of Blue and Levi’s amazingly awesome honeymoon,” I say through pants. “Where we meet yet another thing that’s trying to fucking kill us.”

Levi is, of course, not breathing heavily. It’s extremely irritating. I suppose this is a walk in the park compared to his usual marathons. “Oh, so now I’m allowed to share the honeymoon?”

I gulp in air. “I’ll allow it because of the fucking dead things, Levi,” I say indignantly.

It’s hard to laugh and run while being terrified but somehow, he manages it.

“Keep running,” I gasp. “We can’t let them follow us back to the cottage.”

“Why?”

“Tom is always very insistent that the dead don’t get our address. I’m guessing it’s not because they’ll borrow too many cups of sugar.”

Finally, I can’t run anymore. I come to an abrupt stop by a large oak tree and pull him off the path and behind the trunk. Concealed by the shadows, I peek out. There’s nobody there. I listen intently. At first, I can’t hear anything over the thundering of the blood in my ears, but then it slows. The wind moans through the trees and the branches rustle like a thousand pages turning over. There’s no sign of the creatures.

“I don’t think they followed us,” I say hoarsely. “I’m pretty sure they couldn’t move beyond the crossroads.”

“So, why were we running like we were Usain Bolt?”

“I said pretty sure. Not completely.”

I collapse into him and he immediately throws his arms around me. We’re either hugging or propping each other up. Either could be true because it’s us.

“So…?” Levi finally says. His voice is ever so slightly gleeful.

I groan. “No.”

“Would you say they were zombies? I only ask because it’s going to make me feel a lot more kinship with Brad Pitt in World War Z from now on.”

“You could never have pulled off that haircut. I still say that watching that film was two hours of my life I’ll never get back.” I eye him thoughtfully. “I don’t think they were conventional zombies.”

“So, what were they?”

“Old bodies raised from the dead by a mysterious villain, who then turn out to be a bit peckish?”

“You say that, but I just hear zombies.”

“Let’s call them faux zombies.” I sigh crossly. “Great. I’ll have to devote a whole chapter in my diary covering this stupid occurrence on my bloody honeymoon. Thank you very fucking much, world.”

He snorts and I put my elbow in his ribs.

We stay there, gathering our breaths while listening. Finally, I stir and move cautiously around the tree. Levi is at my side instantly. I look around and groan in dismay. “Shit.”

“What?”

I look at the way we came. There are no creatures lurching along, following us. They’ve either lost interest or they were, as I suspected, tied to the crossroads. Unfortunately, there’s also no sign of the path we just stepped off. “The path’s vanished,” I mutter.

“Oh joy. Nothing good comes of those words when they’re said in books and films. Nothing, Blue.”