BOOK ONE
She had her whole life planned.
What she didn't plan for was the zombie apocalypse.
Eighteen-year-old Arryn Lycaster just graduated high school. With aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, she's ready to take the next step forward in lif...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The cliche that life flashes before someone's eyes as they face death was a load of bull. With her life hanging in the balance, Arryn only saw sharp teeth flying towards her in slow motion—no edited movie reel of the highlights of her existence. Fear imprisoned her thundering heart.
The force of the creature's paws ripped her off her feet, sending her toppling backward into the grass. A loud gasp escaped her lips as the harsh impact knocked the wind from her sails. Breaths escaped in shallow gasps.
Saliva dripped from the dog's mouth — the same cream-colored foam she saw with the deer. The warm droplets landed on Arryn, slipping down her cheeks in slimy trails. A rancid smell, like the scent of fish left out in the sun all day, radiated from the creature's mouth.
Bile burned at the back of her throat, her empty stomach threatening to empty its contents.
This was it.
Irony at its finest.
The day her life supposedly began would be the day it ended.
Would it be painful? Fast? How would her parents react? Would they be resentful at her for disobeying them? Or would they be too devastated by grief at the loss of their only child to place blame on something or someone?
Her fingernails scavenged the soil, desperate to find something to protect herself with—a stick or a stone would offer her a sliver of a chance. But the only object she found was the earth trapped underneath her fingernails—the same dirt her blood would soon water unless a miracle happened.
Black spots clouded her vision. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn't breathe. Only shaky wheezes came. Around her, the world spun like a carousel. She no longer felt in control of her actions. Someone else now held the strings.
The beast drew its head back, opening its jaws wide. Remnants of the last meal it ate lay wedged between the pointed daggers.
She closed her eyes.
Goodbye Mom and Dad.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, clenching a fist into the dirt.
A sickening crunch sounded above her. She tensed. Clutching the dirt harder, she waited for the pain to follow.
A heavy pressure fell on her throat, constricting her airway. Breath evaded her as the panic set in even further.
Adrenaline flooded her veins, dulling her senses to the agony she experienced. Wet heat engulfed her neck. Blood. Her blood. She refused to open her eyes. A scarlet bath was not how she wanted to remember her last seconds here on earth. And just as suddenly as it came, the weight lifted from her body.
"Arryn! Arryn, wake up! Please. Please be okay," a voice desperately pleaded. Rough hands gripped her shoulders, shaking her violently.
Stars greeted her like an old friend. Lincoln popped into view, blocking out the night sky. Red, watery eyes met hers.
