Run by Gabby Tye

pool, desperately trying to clamber out. I make eye contact with one of them and gasp. His eyes are blank, but they are green. And familiar. I backpedal slowly.

CHAPTER 38
    â€œWhich one are we going to take?” Kyl asks.
    â€œThat one,” I say straightaway, pointing to the Eater with the green eyes.
    â€œOkay,” Kyl says. “Jae and I will do this. The rest of you, go back upstairs and keep watch. Just in case there are more Eaters.”
    No, no, no! Not Jae. What if he gets hurt? What if he gets eaten? What if he dies? I am gripped with a sudden panic. What if I lose Jae?
    â€œNo,” I say. “I’m going to help.”
    â€œDon’t worry,” Jae says. “We’ve got it figured out. We don’t even have to touch them.”
    He and Kyl have fashioned a hooking device out of wood and ropes. They plan to hook an Eater by the neck. Hook an Eater by the neck? I am reminded of an old nursery song… Eeny meeny minee mo, catch a spider by the toe . Hook an Eater by the neck. If he cries, let him go… Eeny meeny minee mo.
    No. Stop it, Zee. Stop it! I feel I am going crazy.
    A voice snaps me back to reality. “Zee? Zee, are you listening to me?”
    I shake my head and look at Jae. He is looking at me with a rather amused look on his face.
    â€œHuuuh?” I say.
    â€œI said is that okay with you?”
    â€œOh.” I hesitate. If Jae can’t do this, no one else can. So reluctantly, I nod my head slowly in agreement.
    â€œB-But be careful, okay!” I stammer. “Don’t die! Promise me you won’t die!”
    Jae chuckles softly. “I promise I won’t die.”
    I reach out and touch his face. He places his hand over mine and stares into my eyes.
    â€œBe safe, all right?” I whisper, pulling my hand out of his grip.
    He nods, looking serious and a little scared. “Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.”
    I throw my arms around him and I feel him stiffen before relaxing and hugging me back.
    â€œI’ll be fine,” he tells me.
    I run up the stairs, back to the apartment on the eighth floor. When Eryn sees me and Brion, she yelps with joy, hugging each of us in turn. She hugs Dyanne and Shulin too. I rush to the balcony to look down into the pool area.
    My breath catches in my throat as I watch Jae and Kyl approach the pool. Jae draws the lasso back and hooks one of them – the green-eyed one – around his neck. He gives the rope one quick yank and the Eater comes out.
    He lunges at Jae and Jae stumbles back, a little surprised. My eyes go wide and I swear my heart stops beating.
    Kyl swings from behind, hitting the back of the Eater’s knees. The Eater keels over. Not wasting a second, Kyl jumps up immediately and secures his hands behind him. Jae then takes his rope and binds the Eater’s legs together. I see him hesitate for a second, probably wondering whether he should release the noose around the Eater’s neck. He doesn’t.
    Mission completed. He looks up at us and gives us two thumbs up.
    Behind him, in the pool, the grunts of the other Eaters get louder. I retreat into the apartment, where the sound is muted.

CHAPTER 39
    I heave a sigh of relief when they come back. Jae grins at me, pleased with himself.
    â€œI got him! Be careful though, he’s a lunger.”
    I frown. A lunger?
    â€œCome and see. We’ve put him in the gym next to the pool.”
    Dyanne and Shulin insist on staying with the kids, so only Brion, Eryn and I go down.
    As soon as I enter the gym, the Eater snarls at me and lunges forward, trying to grab me. I jump a mile in the air and back away. He can’t reach me though. He is secured to one of the gym machines by the noose around his neck.
    Jae laughs. “I told you he is a lunger.”
    I give Jae a weird look and think he has the strangest sense of humour. I stare at the Eater. His eye sockets are torn and bloody and he’s missing an