This story takes place after the "-Or" trilogy. Le sigh. I just couldn't keep away. As per usual, reviews and constructive criticism are welcome, flames are not.
Her stomach seemed to almost growl as she crouched behind one of the outer stones making up Stonehenge, about three kilometers from Amesbury. How many days had it been since she had last fed? She closed her eyes as she thought. Two, maybe three. She knew that she was too weak to put up a good fight if she was captured.
What had gone wrong with the mission?
She had been sent out to raid a previously abandoned water pumping station in Ryhope, the site for the mass production of...how had they been described in the briefing? Zombies. Reports had been cropping up all over England about a strange plague of cannibalism infecting residents. As it turned out, top heads in the British Armed Forces had commissioned a private research company to perform biological experiments to work on a vaccination that would increase mental awareness and physical strength so that they could get more efficient use from their employees.
Obviously the people that had decided this would be a good idea had never watched any horror movies. 28 Days Later would have been beneficial for them to see before making what could only be labeled as a stupid decision.
The researchers had tested their synthetic virus on animals first with no adverse reactions noticed. After their initial success they put ads out in newspapers for volunteers willing to participate in a weight loss study. The aftermath had been chaos.
The raid had been successful; the factory had been destroyed along with the virus and lab creatures. Only two of the scientists responsible had survived and had been taken into custody. By now they were awaiting trial in Wandsworth, a division of HM Prison located in southwest London.
The question remained: what had gone wrong?
Technically, nothing.
What alarmed her was that the water station in Ryhope was located almost five hundred and twelve kilometers from Stonehenge and she had no memory of how she came to be here. Her weapon was missing, as were her badges and cell phone. She had no money, no car, and no idea what the hell she was doing so far from Ryhope, or London, for that matter.
She heard two cars pull up on the other side of Stonehenge, followed by loud teenage voices and footsteps. Seemed as though some kids were planning on having a bonfire out here. As the group walked from their car down the path to the center of the prehistoric monument she detected the faint pulsing rhythm of their heartbeats.
Her fangs extended, a natural reaction to being so close to prey. She stood, mapping out the best way to attack. By her count there were five humans. They were most likely sitting in a circle, so two of them would be closer to the path than the others. Those would be the ones to go after first; her presence would dissuade the others from making a run for the path. She nodded her head and began toward her intended targets.
Teasing and laughter rang through the ruins and she stopped mid-step. Her expression was one of horror as she realized what she was about to do. Muffling a sob, she ran away from Stonehenge and the teenagers as fast as she was able. When she was well away from civilization she stopped and leaned against a lone tree.
Her tears came then, quick and relentless. What was the matter with her? She was exhausted, lost and starving, but that was no excuse to murder innocent people. Her fangs retracted and she slumped to the ground.
Xoxoxo
Several hours before dawn found her standing on the road leading to Amesbury, undecided on what to do next. She knew that she had to find some way to get back to London. Teleportation was out of the question. She could travel about ten miles and end up in the exact location she was aiming for. Attempting anything farther than that was asking for trouble.
She frowned. There was a train station about eight miles away in Salisbury. The trains passed through London at the Waterloo Station. Sneaking aboard wouldn't be too difficult and it was not as bad as stealing a car. She nodded once and headed for Salisbury Road.
A tired group of travelers were gathered at the train platform and she casually walked up and bumped into someone. She apologized and asked if this train was headed for London as workers went about preparing the first train of the day. An onlooker would have assumed she was a part of the group.
Boarding the train unnoticed was easy enough. She made sure no one was paying attention to her before leaning against the train and pushing through the outer shell into an empty compartment. She sat on the bench and leaned her head against the window. The sun would not make an appearance for another two hours, but the dark sky was already beginning to fade to a dull gray. As long as it remained overcast she would be fine.
Her eyes closed against her will, but she didn't possess the energy necessary to keep them open. She had never felt such a ravenous hunger. The pressing need to eat scared her. If a human decided to sit with her on the ride home she wasn't positive that she would be able to keep from killing.
If only her Master were here. He would have some tidbit of advice for her.
Her eyes shot open. If her heart had still been necessary, her pulse would have been racing. Where was her Master?
He must have realized that she was missing by now, unless he was still deployed on his mission. It was possible, but unlikely. Unless he was given an interesting project, he executed his commands with professional expediency.
Even if that were the case, he should have felt her distress. She had worked hard to strengthen and maintain her mental shields to the point where she upheld them with no conscious effort on her part, the way one's body regulates breathing and heart rate without any thought. Her established link with her Master, however, was kept open except when she wanted her privacy.
She bit her lip, vexed. Why hadn't he tried to contact her telepathically? For that matter, why hadn't she tried to communicate with him? She shook her head. This should have been her first order of business. She concentrated, feeling out for him. She sent out cautious tendrils of her essence, calling out to him, but after a moment she gave up.
It was as though there was a void where his own essence ought to be. She wasn't quite sure how their telepathy worked, but to her it was a sensation unlike any other when they connected. It was as though his mind reached out and gently caressed hers. Now there was nothing.
She had not felt so alone for a long time.
