The Lola Chronicles (Book 2): A Day Without Dawn by Jillian Eaton Page B

handlebars and hitting the concrete sidewalk with a sickening thud that reverberated all the way down inside of my skull.
    Run! My brain screamed. Get up and run! Right now!
    Dazed, I tried to roll over onto my side, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. The fall had knocked all of the air out of my lungs, making it impossible to draw a deep breath. There was a dull throbbing in my knee, but I was afraid to look. The bloody smear of red on the sidewalk told me it wasn’t pretty. I tried to push myself up but my left wrist buckled and I collapsed onto my stomach with a cry of pain.
    I’d never wanted to be bitten by Angelique, but what I wouldn’t have given in that moment to still be able to heal. Sprawled on the ground with a broken wrist and a twisted knee, I was easy prey for the thing that approached with shuffling footsteps and short, excited breaths.
    It made a slurping sound as it bent over me. Starting with my legs it slowly sniffed its way up my body while I held perfectly still. Maybe if it thought I was dead it would leave me alone. It wasn’t a great plan, but it was all I had. With my wrist out of commission I couldn’t even grab my gun unless I rolled over onto my back and reached across with my right hand, exposing my stomach and throat in the process. Something I wasn’t exactly very keen on doing when Mrs. Sniffer was trying to decide what part of my body to snack on first.
    Go away, I chanted inside my head. Go away, go away, go away!
    I pinched my eyes shut as it made its way up my right side. Whatever it was it seriously needed some extra strength mouthwash and I fought the urge to gag when I felt the wet, sticky slide of its tongue on my elbow.
    Was it tasting me?
    Gross.
    So, so gross.
    I opened my eyelids a fraction of an inch. Mrs. Sniffer was poised above me in a half crouch, her head tilted sharply to the side as she studied me intently. Dirty blonde hair covered half of her face. The other half was an oozing mess of open sores and peeling flesh. She looked like Mrs. Wallace had, only ten times worse. Whatever type of disease or infection these people had caught from the drinkers, it was definitely degenerative.
    “Hi,” I whispered, opening my eyelids all the way.
    Visibly startled by the sound of my voice Mrs. Sniffer jumped in surprise before her watery blue eyes lifted to mine and a low, warning grow emanated from her throat. 
    Sonofabitch.
    She really had though I was dead.
    Me and my big mouth.
    “My name is Lola.” I tried to smile, but it came off as more of a grimace. Ignoring the pain in my wrist I struggled up onto my elbows. I was still pretty much helpless, but at least if I died it wouldn’t be with my face on the sidewalk. “I can tell you’re a nice lady. That’s, ah, a mighty fine blazer you have there.” What was left of it. Someone else could point out that Mrs. Sniffer’s entire chest was hanging out and her white lace bra had definitely seen better days. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be me. “You don’t want to eat me, do you? Not really.”
    She snapped her teeth.
    “I’m really sorry this happened to you. I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”
    “ Hungry ,” she groaned. Her mouth worked overtime to pronounce the two-syllable word, almost as if she’d forgotten how to speak.
    Maybe Hayley’s zombie theory hadn’t been so crazy after all.
    “You and me both. I could really go for a double cheeseburger with fries and a shake. Do you like chocolate or vanilla?” I had no idea if trying to appeal to Mrs. Sniffer’s human side would work – I didn’t even know if she had a human side left – but it was worth a shot.
    “ Hungry ,” she repeated.
    “Yeah, I got that. Listen if you let me go I have friends who might be able to help. Maybe we could – hey, NOT COOL!” I yelped when the drinker zombie unexpectedly grabbed my arm and lifted it towards her mouth. Her lips peeled back, exposing bloody gums and an uneven row of jagged teeth. I