The Survivor Chronicles (Book 2): The Divide by Erica Stevens Page A
Authors: Erica Stevens
Tags: Fiction
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go far."
A single tear slid down her cheek, her hand fisted on the wall as she took another quick glance around. She listened to Bobby's voice drifting away as he repeatedly called out to Xander. She found her gaze irresistibly drawn back to the clouds as a low clap of thunder rolled across the land.
Her thoughts were drawn back to her daughter as she recalled what it had been like to hold Rochelle in her arms for the first time. She'd been so small, squiggly, purple and beautiful as she shook her fists in Mary Ellen's face. She'd still thought that she was in love with Larry at the time, and she'd been so proud of her family. She'd been certain that though she was frightened about being such a young mother, they would be the perfect family that everyone envied.
That dream had never come to fruition, but Mary Ellen had managed to keep Rochelle sheltered from the darker side of her marriage, had managed to keep her protected from the worst aspects of life. And now she was out there, alone…
Mary Ellen broke the thought off before she started to sob like a baby. She had to keep it together. Taking a deep breath she lowered her head back to the window and strained to hear Bobby. Silence met her. "Bobby?" she called.
She didn't know what she was going to do if someone didn't come back soon. She couldn't leave here without knowing what had happened to them, but she wasn't sure if she should climb in there. She glanced at the Caddy and then back at the menacing sky. "Bobby!" she called into the classroom again. "Xander!"
Her voice didn't seem to carry far into the gloom. Xander had said that someone should watch over the car, but the car wouldn't do them any good if they weren't able to break free of the school. With a deep sigh, she grabbed hold of the windowsill and lowered herself into the classroom before she lost her courage to do so. She shuffled forward with her hands outstretched as she called out to Bobby again.
She tried not to think about the possibility of another aftershock as she brushed up against a desk. She pushed it back with her leg and swung her arms from side to side. She cursed as her hand smacked into something metal, and jerking it back, she began to shake it out. She cradled it against her stomach as she bit into her lip and fought the urge to jump up and down and scream. This was what she got for almost laughing at Bobby, she realized as she stuck her foot out and prodded at the area surrounding her.
Gathering her strength, she stuck her hand out again and came up against something cool and metal. It took her a second to realize that she'd found the doorframe that seemed to lead into another world, or a giant crater that had swallowed Bobby and Xander.
She stuck her foot out the door as she grasped the frame and leaned her head into the hall. "Bobby! Xander!" She only heard the beat of her heart as she strained to hear any noise from them. "Bobby!"
It took everything she had not to release the door and run back to the window. She became certain there was a monster just inches from her face, watching her, breathing her in as it waited to pounce. She could almost hear it now, almost feel it as it leaned closer, clearly able to see her while she stared blindly into the hall. The clatter of something caused her to jump as a small squeak escaped her.
"Mary Ellen?"
She almost cried in relief at the same time she almost screamed at the top of her lungs. "Bobby?"
"Yes. I found them. Keep speaking."
She took a deep breath and began to recite his name over and over again. A scream erupted from her and she jumped back as a hand came down on her arm. "Sorry," Xander muttered. "You ok?"
It took her a couple of seconds to catch her breath. "Yes. You?"
"I'll be better when we're out of this place."
She couldn't argue with that. She turned away from the doorframe and shuffled her way back toward the window. Please don't have another earthquake now , she silently pleaded as she continued carefully onward.
A single tear slid down her cheek, her hand fisted on the wall as she took another quick glance around. She listened to Bobby's voice drifting away as he repeatedly called out to Xander. She found her gaze irresistibly drawn back to the clouds as a low clap of thunder rolled across the land.
Her thoughts were drawn back to her daughter as she recalled what it had been like to hold Rochelle in her arms for the first time. She'd been so small, squiggly, purple and beautiful as she shook her fists in Mary Ellen's face. She'd still thought that she was in love with Larry at the time, and she'd been so proud of her family. She'd been certain that though she was frightened about being such a young mother, they would be the perfect family that everyone envied.
That dream had never come to fruition, but Mary Ellen had managed to keep Rochelle sheltered from the darker side of her marriage, had managed to keep her protected from the worst aspects of life. And now she was out there, alone…
Mary Ellen broke the thought off before she started to sob like a baby. She had to keep it together. Taking a deep breath she lowered her head back to the window and strained to hear Bobby. Silence met her. "Bobby?" she called.
She didn't know what she was going to do if someone didn't come back soon. She couldn't leave here without knowing what had happened to them, but she wasn't sure if she should climb in there. She glanced at the Caddy and then back at the menacing sky. "Bobby!" she called into the classroom again. "Xander!"
Her voice didn't seem to carry far into the gloom. Xander had said that someone should watch over the car, but the car wouldn't do them any good if they weren't able to break free of the school. With a deep sigh, she grabbed hold of the windowsill and lowered herself into the classroom before she lost her courage to do so. She shuffled forward with her hands outstretched as she called out to Bobby again.
She tried not to think about the possibility of another aftershock as she brushed up against a desk. She pushed it back with her leg and swung her arms from side to side. She cursed as her hand smacked into something metal, and jerking it back, she began to shake it out. She cradled it against her stomach as she bit into her lip and fought the urge to jump up and down and scream. This was what she got for almost laughing at Bobby, she realized as she stuck her foot out and prodded at the area surrounding her.
Gathering her strength, she stuck her hand out again and came up against something cool and metal. It took her a second to realize that she'd found the doorframe that seemed to lead into another world, or a giant crater that had swallowed Bobby and Xander.
She stuck her foot out the door as she grasped the frame and leaned her head into the hall. "Bobby! Xander!" She only heard the beat of her heart as she strained to hear any noise from them. "Bobby!"
It took everything she had not to release the door and run back to the window. She became certain there was a monster just inches from her face, watching her, breathing her in as it waited to pounce. She could almost hear it now, almost feel it as it leaned closer, clearly able to see her while she stared blindly into the hall. The clatter of something caused her to jump as a small squeak escaped her.
"Mary Ellen?"
She almost cried in relief at the same time she almost screamed at the top of her lungs. "Bobby?"
"Yes. I found them. Keep speaking."
She took a deep breath and began to recite his name over and over again. A scream erupted from her and she jumped back as a hand came down on her arm. "Sorry," Xander muttered. "You ok?"
It took her a couple of seconds to catch her breath. "Yes. You?"
"I'll be better when we're out of this place."
She couldn't argue with that. She turned away from the doorframe and shuffled her way back toward the window. Please don't have another earthquake now , she silently pleaded as she continued carefully onward.
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