Smolder by Abigail Livinghouse (best young adult book series TXT) 📕

"It's the last place we have to search before we can move on. Isabella's been asking me to make sure, so there's no harm in it." Another voice tried to console the other. This person was obviously the levelheaded one of the two.

"Oh for god's sake, I wish you people would grow a pair and stand up for yourselves for once." The other guy seethed at the calm one, trying to evoke a reaction.

"Isabella is the leader of this group, and you're speaking out against her?" The second one asked, more astonishment in his tone than anger or embarrassment from what the first guy had said to him.

"I'm just along for the ride Trenton, nothing personal against you or the rest of your group. But as soon as I find my own way, I'm out of here." Number Two said emotionlessly. Trenton sighed.

"If that's how you feel." If it was possible, it sounded like he was actually hurt that the pissed off one wasn't planning on sticking around.

I wasn't exactly sure what to do at that moment, they were still coming towards me, no doubt searching for food or weaponry. What could I do? I was trapped like an animal, and within seconds Trenton and What's His Face will be rounding the corner and see me.

"Do you hear that?" The pissy one said, and their footsteps ceased.

I held my breath, making sure that I made absolutely no sound. I hadn't been moving around at all, but apparently they had heard something.

"It could be a Zoner." Trenton said under his breath.

Zoner?

"Great, we'll get torn apart!" Number Two hissed frantically. "Let's just go back!"

What were they talking about?

One set of footsteps began coming towards me, and just as they started another set joined them, coming from my only option of escape. Shit.

"Trenton! Let's get out of here!" Number Two sounded a lot more panicked than before, and as I turned my head I saw why they were so freaked.

At least ten Half Deads were coming towards the two, and I saw either Trenton or Number Two go at them. With a knife, he stabbed as many in the head as he could get at, while the other person shot at them with a small gun. I watched in silence as former men, women, and children went down with either a bullet to the head or a knife.

When they were finished and the herd was completely gone, each had a bit of blood on them and were panting. What I couldn't understand was: where was the threat? The Half Deads were just passing through, what was the reason to kill them?

"Let's just get back to the others." The one with the knife said and turned around. I let out a grateful breath, getting ready to get out of the alley as well.

"Wait", the second one said, and I froze.

Footsteps began approaching my hiding spot, and before I could react an angry face popped up around the dumpster.

"We got another one!"

The man who I saw was the one with the gun tucked away in his jeans, grabbed me by the back of my shirt and hauled me to my feet, pulling my arms behind my back. I didn't struggle, I had decided that I would go for the element of surprise and make a break for it when they didn't expect it.

He dragged me over to face the one with the knife, transferring his hold to my hair and tugging roughly. I bit my tongue to keep from snapping at him and looked at the guy in front of me. He was tall, with sandy blond hair and blue eyes that gave away nothing. His clothes were splattered with Half Dead blood and I noticed he was still gripping his knife. He looked about my age, if not a bit older.

"Who are you?" He asked. His voice wasn't angry or invasive, it was emotionless, if not for a bit curious.

"Siren." I said with just as little feeling.

"Your full name?" He inquired. When I didn't answer right away, the guy behind me yanked my hair.

"I don't know!" I spit at him, the pain from the second guy's tugs making my head throb. "I don't know my full name." I said again, slower and calmer this time.

His eyebrows rose as he looked over my body. "Have you been bitten?"

I scowled, but answered before Number Two could pull my hair again. "No."

He looked over my shoulder at the person behind me, who apparently was not very happy about discovering me.

"How can we trust her? She could be bit and lying, and just looking for a place to settle down and then catch a quick meal once the change is final." Guy Two suggested, but Guy One shook his head.

"She doesn't look infected, I think we'd be able to tell if she was." He said quizzically, still assessing me with his eyes. I decided that maybe I could at least speak up, if they were going to kill me I might as well be able to defend myself beforehand.

"Are you Trenton?" I asked, looking at the guy in front of me. Judging by the flash of surprise in his eyes, that already answered my question.

"She's not to be trusted!" The other guy nearly shouted in my ear before I could continue. I winced and turned to look at his face. He had a greasy beard, fishy gray eyes, and was balding. I sneered in disgust as he continued talking.

"She's heard too much. We should've just left her for the Zoners. Actually, that's a good idea. Leave her here and I'm sure some will come around eventually." He said with an ugly vindictive grin. Trenton didn't seem too happy about this new plan though.

"That's a punishment I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy Nathan, I'm not going to inflict it on this innocent girl." He said sternly, and even though Nathan seemed bent on arguing, he backed down for a second and spun around in the alley way. Another Half Dead was heading towards us, blankly staring ahead and moving fairly quickly.

Half Deads could run just as fast as any human if not faster, which is why when you piss them off you're fucked up down and all around.

The arrival of our new guest didn't slow Nathan as he swiftly put a bullet in the Half Dead's head. The corpse fell to the ground instantly. When Nathan turned back to us, I was still confused.

"Zoners?" I asked Trenton, my plan of escape completely forgotten. He gave me a funny look.

"Those things", he pointed to the former Half Dead lying on the ground. "They are called Zoners because of the state they are in. How did you not know that?" Trenton asked me, now looking just as confused as I was. I shook my head.

"Never mind, but why are you killing them if they're not attacking you? They don't hurt you if you don't bother them first." I said matter of fact, and this seemed to just confuse Trenton further.

"I don't know where you're getting your information from Siren, but those things don't attack when bothered, they attack on site. They eat human flesh in order to survive longer. Now they don't just die once they hit a few weeks, but continue on. As long as they keep up a balanced meal, they could survive indefinitely." He explained.

This was making my head hurt even more than Nathan's hair pulling, at least now all he was holding onto were my arms. It didn't make any sense. I've been out in this new fucked up world for six years, and my knowledge has gotten me this far. Now this guy comes along and tells me everything I know is false? Are they even called Half Deads anymore?

"Well as much as I've enjoyed this conversation", Nathan said from behind me. I resisted rolling my eyes, he was really getting on my nerves.

"I think it's time we head back." He finished.

"He's right." Trenton fixed me with his blue eyed stare, and I held my breath. It felt like he was judging me on something, either my past or my current situation, or maybe he was just assessing my appearance. He stopped after a few seconds, but it felt like it had gone on longer than that.

"Do you need a place to stay, Siren?" He asked me, and I blinked in surprise.

I had never been offered a place to stay before. I had never offered anyone else a place to stay either. And this stranger was? I wasn't going to say yes of course, but still it was pretty rare to me.

"No, I-my girlfriend and I prefer traveling alone. Thank you though." I said awkwardly, and I noticed Trenton's eyes widen slightly at the mention of the word girlfriend. Maybe I'm one of the last bisexuals to walk this new world, obviously I'm the first one he's ever met.

"Alright, our settlement is just over there", he pointed straight out beyond the street and I wondered for a moment if he was messing with me, apparently not. "You can't miss it. If you need anything, we'll be there another two days before we move on."

And after he was done talking, unbelievably, he held out his hand for me to shake. I took a moment before I actually did shake his hand, and he said, "Nice to meet you, Siren."

At the end of his sentence I could hear maybe a smile in his tone, and I felt my confusion grow but in a different sense than before. "You too, Trenton."

I thought my name was rather ironic. Since my hair was the color of a blazing fire, and my eyes the color of shining emeralds, I just thought it was kind of funny. It seemed as though Trenton thought so too.

My mind wandered to Trenton and his buddy Nathan all the way back to Terese, and even more I threw around the news of Half Deads or apparent "Zoners" actually being bloodthirsty monsters.

When I turned the alley way to find Terese, she was there still huddled against the wall. It was as if she hadn't moved since I left.

"Nice to see you." I muttered as I passed her, sitting down at the opposite end of the alley.

"I could say the same." She said emotionlessly. I sneered.

"I appreciate you coming to look for me, your valiant efforts brought me back to you my darling." I mocked, nothing but anger filling me at the moment. My fingertips warmed, and I felt the buzz of fire in my veins. It was contained, but boiled my blood in frustration. She didn't even turn around as she spoke. "How was I supposed to know where you went? I wasn't about to go out and risk my neck just to find where my PMSing girlfriend went."

Her words stung like a slap to the face, but I swallowed my hurt and shot back. "If I mean so little to you, then what are you even doing with me?"

No response, all I got was her back to me. That was enough of an answer. I stood up and walked to the entrance of the alley way, feeling as if I