Crashing Down - A Post-Apocalyptic Novel (The Ravaged Land Series Book 3) by Kellee L. Greene Page B
Authors: Kellee L. Greene
Ads: Link
pinched the fabric of his shirt between my thumb and index finger. My hands slowly moved upward and revealed the HOME markings to everyone standing behind me. I heard the whispers and snickers. My stomach turned, and I dropped the shirt as if it was covered with thousands of spiders.
“Next!” Dominick said sounding positively thrilled. I couldn’t tell if it was because of what would happen next or if it was because I was obeying his orders. It was probably both.
I took a deep breath and lifted the other man’s shirt already sure of what I would find. And of course, as I suspected, it was there. The dark ink stark against his pale skin.
“See we didn’t even need to check did we? I can spot these HOME jerks a mile away,” Dominick said not expecting an answer. He waved his hand and his men started to drag them off towards the stage once again.
“Wait! It’s not what you think!” the one that had called himself Jake shouted. He twisted his head towards Dominick with his eyes filled with fear.
Dominick laughed but then the darkness returned to his eyes. “It’s exactly what I think,” he said through clenched teeth.
I grabbed Dominick by the sleeve and spun him around. For a second I wasn’t sure if he was going to hit me, or kill me. “Stop it!” I yelled “You gave us a chance to explain. Why not them?”
“It was different with you,” he said as he started to turn back to what he believed was his duty. To protect his people and save the Earth.
“No it wasn’t. You didn’t know we weren’t from HOME right away,” I countered. If he had suspected it without checking we would have been dead too, but for some reason he had given us a chance.
“There is nothing to say. I wasn’t sure when I came across you guys… I had my doubts, which is why it was handled differently. You guys didn’t give off that HOME scent,” Dominick said scrunching his nose up towards Jake and Shawn. “But I am one hundred percent sure these guys are from HOME thanks to you. There isn’t anything left to talk about with them now,” he said as he yanked his arm out of my grip.
Dean and I followed them all the way to the stage but stopped about ten feet away. I saw Sienna and Penn approach looking around as if they were trying to see what all the commotion was about. They both seemed confused but at the same time glad to see us back in the camp.
I didn’t have any doubts that they could see I was upset, but they stayed in their position. Penn protectively put his arm around Sienna as if he was worried something bad was going to happen. He wanted to be prepared.
Dominick jumped up on the stage while his two men led the HOME members up the lopsided steps towards the nooses. He looked excited, like he was the Master of Ceremonies at a circus. And this place really kind of was a circus.
“Ladies and gentleman,” Dominick started, and I rolled my eyes at him. Some of the women in the crowd lightly clapped their hands together as if they were his biggest fans. Next thing, they’d be fanning themselves and passing out.
“We have to do something to stop this,” I mumbled to Dean.
“No we don’t,” he said and wrapped his arm around me tightly as if he was afraid I might just try to run up on stage and set the men free. But I didn’t want to do that either.
“When we were out today, our new member Ros and I…,” he said scratching his chin briefly. “Hey, Ros, why don’t you join me up on stage if you would be so kind. That way everyone can see you and remember your face. After all, you were a really big help to our camp today.”
His words sounded friendly, but I knew it wasn’t a request. It was an order. I tried to be polite. I raised my hand with a small smile and shook my head. But he wasn’t having it.
“Oh, don’t be shy! Come on up,” he said, the sugar sweetness leaving his voice which he swiftly replaced with something completely artificial. The crowd sort of clapped as if they weren’t
“Next!” Dominick said sounding positively thrilled. I couldn’t tell if it was because of what would happen next or if it was because I was obeying his orders. It was probably both.
I took a deep breath and lifted the other man’s shirt already sure of what I would find. And of course, as I suspected, it was there. The dark ink stark against his pale skin.
“See we didn’t even need to check did we? I can spot these HOME jerks a mile away,” Dominick said not expecting an answer. He waved his hand and his men started to drag them off towards the stage once again.
“Wait! It’s not what you think!” the one that had called himself Jake shouted. He twisted his head towards Dominick with his eyes filled with fear.
Dominick laughed but then the darkness returned to his eyes. “It’s exactly what I think,” he said through clenched teeth.
I grabbed Dominick by the sleeve and spun him around. For a second I wasn’t sure if he was going to hit me, or kill me. “Stop it!” I yelled “You gave us a chance to explain. Why not them?”
“It was different with you,” he said as he started to turn back to what he believed was his duty. To protect his people and save the Earth.
“No it wasn’t. You didn’t know we weren’t from HOME right away,” I countered. If he had suspected it without checking we would have been dead too, but for some reason he had given us a chance.
“There is nothing to say. I wasn’t sure when I came across you guys… I had my doubts, which is why it was handled differently. You guys didn’t give off that HOME scent,” Dominick said scrunching his nose up towards Jake and Shawn. “But I am one hundred percent sure these guys are from HOME thanks to you. There isn’t anything left to talk about with them now,” he said as he yanked his arm out of my grip.
Dean and I followed them all the way to the stage but stopped about ten feet away. I saw Sienna and Penn approach looking around as if they were trying to see what all the commotion was about. They both seemed confused but at the same time glad to see us back in the camp.
I didn’t have any doubts that they could see I was upset, but they stayed in their position. Penn protectively put his arm around Sienna as if he was worried something bad was going to happen. He wanted to be prepared.
Dominick jumped up on the stage while his two men led the HOME members up the lopsided steps towards the nooses. He looked excited, like he was the Master of Ceremonies at a circus. And this place really kind of was a circus.
“Ladies and gentleman,” Dominick started, and I rolled my eyes at him. Some of the women in the crowd lightly clapped their hands together as if they were his biggest fans. Next thing, they’d be fanning themselves and passing out.
“We have to do something to stop this,” I mumbled to Dean.
“No we don’t,” he said and wrapped his arm around me tightly as if he was afraid I might just try to run up on stage and set the men free. But I didn’t want to do that either.
“When we were out today, our new member Ros and I…,” he said scratching his chin briefly. “Hey, Ros, why don’t you join me up on stage if you would be so kind. That way everyone can see you and remember your face. After all, you were a really big help to our camp today.”
His words sounded friendly, but I knew it wasn’t a request. It was an order. I tried to be polite. I raised my hand with a small smile and shook my head. But he wasn’t having it.
“Oh, don’t be shy! Come on up,” he said, the sugar sweetness leaving his voice which he swiftly replaced with something completely artificial. The crowd sort of clapped as if they weren’t
Similar Books
