The Fledge Effect Read Online Free PDF Page B

at Grant’s question. He did,
indeed, pass her. How could he forget the sight
of nice lady becoming ravenous for blood? He
couldn’t it. He wanted to forget the sight, as if it
never happened. “No, son.”
Grant nodded. “Should we call someone? She looked hurt, drugged, or something.”
Jeremiah flung his bedroom door open.
“No!” After realizing he was louder than need
be, he corrected his tone. “I’m sure she is fine.”
Grant stepped back, afraid. “Sure,
maybe. But, I have my phone here. It would just
be a click away to call for help.”
“No,” he said, again. He snatched
Grant’s phone. “No more of this.”
“I’m a grown man, who pays my own
bills.”
Jeremiah tossed it back. “No call for
help. And cut that damn ponytail off. You look
ridiculous. You need to impress the dean.”
“Sure.”
He sighed, frustrated. He couldn’t believe his father, the Mayor , didn’t want them to
help a civilian. Maybe he didn’t believe me ,
Grant thought.
His phone rang. It was Melissa, his girlfriend.
“Hey,” he answered.
She groaned.
“Are you okay?”
She groaned again.
“Okay, well call me when you are fully
awake.” He hung up. “That was weird.”
He caught his reflection in the glass of
the empty gun safe. For once, he agreed with his
father . It’s a good hairstyle for those hacks who
sit at café’s pretending to write their screenplays. But not for a scientist , he thought.
•••
Early, the following morning, Maddie traced
down the street. She lived a few houses down
from her mother’s house. Leaving town would
have been too much for her to handle. After
Emily up and left, Trudy, their mother, was all
Maddie had left of her family. Everyone seemed
to move away after the 2012 scare. Trudy, owning more property than Mayor of New Haven,
set up the entire town as apocalypse proof.
Bomb shelters, safe houses, and walls were all
built to ensure the safety of the townspeople.
Yet, it scared more off than it attracted.
Her older sister couldn’t wait to leave
town. Maddie, however, loved New Haven too
much to leave. There wasn’t much to New Haven. Enough to get by, but due to lack of population not much was given to New Haven. The
remaining people who did stay, worked together to make it beautiful. Flowers would
spring up, and trees blossomed all without a
struggle. It brought in plenty of visitors. But
only long enough for small weddings, or pictures.
Maddie wished the visitors would
choose to stay. Considering, the fact, if she were
to lock the wall and trap them here, it would be
considered kidnapping.
However, she did plan to leave for the
day, to visit Emily. It worried her that she would
not answer her phone. After everything that has
happened, Maddie could only assume all what
Emily needs is family at that moment. She knew
Emily would never come back, that is why she
chose to go to her. She tried to beg her to move
back, but Emily remained firm in her decision.
Trudy answered the door. “Hey sweetie,
breakfast is almost done.”
Maddie walked in, her palms sweaty.
“A-actually, m-mom. I won’t have time to eat.”
“What?” Trudy swung around. “You’re
nothing but bone. Eat!”
“I’m on my way out. I just wanted to see
if you needed me to pick something up?” Her
hands shook. She knew her mother would object to leaving town for any reason besides shopping.
“Where you off to, exactly?”
“Out of town. Maybe get some namebrand groceries for once,” Maddie said. Her
mother stared heavily into her. She chuckled,
showing all of her teeth in a giant smile.
“Okay. But, remember, I only like organic foods. None of that processed crap,”
Trudy said, waving her hand by her shoulder.
She came back out of the kitchen, holding a
piece of scribbled on white paper. “Take this. Do
you need money?”
“No, I’m good.”
“Well, okay, because you weren’t going
to get any. I raised you for damn neared twenty
years. If anything, you owe me,” she said with a
smile.