A New World: Awakening Read Online Free PDF Page A

hard to determine the actual direction.   He is hungry and the odor indicates a meal that will feed the entire pack if they can get to it first.
    Buildings pass as they turn down street after street searching.   The screams of other packs drift on the night air in the distance.   Images of prey found filter into his head but they are too far away to respond.   His pack leader has found food on most of their nightly hunts so he is sure they will feed tonight.   The scent grows strong down one street and the pack turns.   Adrenaline surges as the thrill of the hunt takes over.
    Several streets later, with the smell of food growing stronger, he stops.   Grabbing his head from the overwhelming pain, he sinks to his knees.   A dizzy feeling accompanies the deep ache making him feel that he is going to fall completely to the ground.   He vaguely hears the sound of his pack member’s feet stop.   The sense of them, once strong and providing a sense of assurance, fades and then vanishes altogether.
    Where the hell am I?   He thinks looking down at pavement below his head and slumped over body.   How the hell did I get here?   Where is here?   The last memory he has is of taking the flu shot and feeling like shit.   He headed to bed and is now kneeling on some unknown street.   The only thing that comes to his fuzzy and confused mind is that he must have sleep-walked in a feverish dream.
    A loud shriek penetrates his thoughts and he looks up.   The night is dark but he makes out ghostly figures running towards him a short distance away.   What the fuck?   He thinks watching them close in quickly.   More screams issue from four figures racing his way.   He knows a good thing when he sees it and this definitely doesn’t fit in that category.   Adrenaline pours into his body and he starts to rise with the flee portion of the fight or flee response taking hold.
    He is only able to bring his arm up in an attempt to ward off the bodies as the nearest ones leap into the air and slam into him.   The impact knocks him backwards and slams him to the ground.   He is only vaguely aware of the growling and snarling above him as his head contacts the hard, paved surface bringing stars to his eyes.   His mind is reeling from the confusion but is quickly supplanted with sheer pain.   He feels more than sees teeth biting into his face, neck, and arms.   He recognizes a scream, which rises over the others, as his own.
    Pale, snarling faces, reeking of body odor, are close to his.   He fights and squirms to get away from those on top of him and the agony.   Chunks of flesh are torn from his cheeks and throat.   A part of his mind wonders where this odd, vivid dream came from.   He has never felt pain in his dreams before.   Another part of his mind knows this is not a dream but the confusion of suddenly being in a foreign place doesn’t allow that thought to filter into his consciousness.   There is only the struggle and intense agony.
    He feels another strip of flesh ripped from his face.   He screams and pain, colored red, floods his mind.   His vision fades and then goes dark.   He was right about one thing, the pack would feed well tonight.
     
    *    *    *    *    *    *
     
    The next few days are a repeat.   Frank notes areas for Craig and me to fly over broadcasting for survivors.   Gonzalez, McCafferty, Bri, and Robert are on board for the daily 130 flights.   Bri instructs both Gonzalez and McCafferty on the systems and flight engineer responsibilities.   Robert takes some stick time as well to refresh his skills.
    Bannerman sends the truck convoys south to pick up the trailers and livestock we found.   The learning curve is pretty steep for getting the cattle rounded up and into the trucks.   It’s not like they could just call “here boy” and have them come running.   The crews find some horses that were left out in pastures and those prove useful in rounding up the cattle, at least