Jeremy Chikalto and the Demon Trace (Book III of The Hazy Souls) by T.S. DeBrosse Page B

might want to talk.” Maren
frowned. “You're despicable.” She left him alone on the
balcony.

Chapter 21
    Consuming
     
     
    Jeremy spent the next few days at Dr.
Tomerson's compound.
    Maren splashed water on her face. It was
getting dark out and Jeremy still wasn't home.
    Frisky and Tina barged into her room and
dragged her out. “Still moping? He'll come when he comes. But we
found mint leaves!” Frisky led Maren outside and Tina followed,
calling out to anyone who would listen. “Mint tea, bitches!”
    They followed the cement path past the
bunkers and then veered off towards the wooded area of the
compound. There, the perimeter fence had just been pushed further
out, and orange flags marked the newly conquered territory. Soon,
the trees would be cleared. Patches of green, lush mint leaves grew
in small clusters at the base of the fence.
    Maren crouched down to inspect the
leaves.
    “It's tea time.” Tina ripped up the
plant.
    “What are the medicinal properties of mint
leaves?” asked Maren.
    “Mint's fine.” Frisky handed Maren a small
container.
    “Yeah, but I mean...” Maren sighed.
    “Did you hear that?” Tina pointed just
outside the perimeter fence. A stick snapped somewhere close, in
the gloom. There were crickets.
    Maren jumped. “Let's head back in.”
    “It's fine. What were you saying?” Tina
smushed the leaves up against her nose. “This is great.”
    “I think I'm pregnant.”
    Tina gasped and inhaled some of the mint
leaves into her mouth. She began to cough.
    “Really?” asked Frisky. “When...?”
    “Um, don't be naive, Frisk.” Tina smiled and
then spit up a mint leave.
    Maren stood up. “There's someone out there.”
She pointed to the trees beyond the perimeter fence.
    Tina wandered along the fence and then
dropped into the tall weeds.
    “What is she doing now?” asked Frisky.
“Tina, get back here!”
    “Head back,” said Tina's voice in the weeds.
“I'm talking to them.”
    Maren took a couple of steps back, but kept
looking for Tina. A small flame alighted by the perimeter fence. A
hand gripped her from behind and she screamed. Another hand covered
her mouth. She was pulled to the ground and ropes bound her arms
behind her. She gnashed her teeth and screamed out, but was gagged
with a cloth. Tina was flung beside her. Her eyes were wide but she
remained quiet. A group of strangers had infiltrated the camp and
were circling them. Two tall, gangly men and three women with
weather-worn faces stared down at them. They wore necklaces strung
with teeth.
    “Want to know a secret?” said a gaunt older
man. His cheek bones jutted out and his lips were stained red.
“Your friend looks delicious. What's her name?”
    Maren wriggled but stopped as soon as she
saw the boot stomp right in front of her belly.
    “Her name is Maren.”
    “They feeding you well here, Maren? We know
a source of endless food.”
    Maren tried to push the cloth out of her
mouth with her tongue.
    “She's pregnant,” blurted Tina.
    The man smiled and his teeth, like his lips,
were bloodstained. “Maren, you ladies want to join us for
dinner?”
    A woman with stringy black hair in her face
drew close to Maren and sniffed. Her teeth necklace brushed against
Maren's chest. “To join us, one of you will eat the other. But
it'll be okay!” The woman licked her lips and laughed. “Who will
pass the test?”
    A man grabbed Tina by the hair and brought
her head down to the ground. She screamed and a boot kicked her
head. She slumped forward and went limp.
    Maren shook her head and pleaded with
tears.
    The old man grinned. “I'm going to take this
rag out of your mouth and you just be quiet as a little church
mouse. I'm going to cut my mouse a piece of cheese to eat.” The
man's eyes lit up, and he plunged a small knife into Tina's
shoulder. She jerked up, and the pack of strangers fell on her like
dogs. Just then Frisky leapt forward from behind a line of trees
and shouted, and the hungry pack turned