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Chapter 513
The next morning , I’m awakened by something dripping onto my cheek. I open my eyes to a world shrouded by thick, gray mist. Overnight, a dense fog bank has rolled in off the Pacific. I’ve seen plenty of morning fogs back in San Diego, but nothing to match this one. The damp curtain has reduced my world to a circle of fifteen to twenty feet. On one side of me, I can see Plush and Lights sleeping close beside each other, on the other I can make out Radar and Doc. The rest of my friends, a bit farther away, are just dark forms, almost unrecognizable. The nearest trees are shadowy columns whose upper reaches have been swallowed by the fog. I know we’re surrounded by Marines, but I can’t see any of them. Kai is nowhere in sight, either.
Another drop hits my face, splattering against my forehead this time. It’s condensation, dripping from an invisible leaf or branch above me. I wipe it off with the back of my hand and sit up.
It’s not dar
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 514
Heavy fog greets us again the next morning. No water drips onto my face today, so I’m able to sleep a little later. After that, the drill is pretty much the same: wait quietly for the fog to burn off, which it does a bit earlier today. Then it’s back on our way north.Today brings us a couple of changes in the landscape through which we’ve been travelling. The highway has curved inland a bit, so for the first time since I was beached, the ocean is out of sight and sound. Also, the woods have begun to thin out, until I can no longer really call them woods. I don’t know if it’s because we’ve moved away from the sea or because we’re getting further north, but the land is now rolling hillsides dotted with trees and shrubs. Most of the soil is covered by foot-high grasses rather than forest. At the crest of some of the hills, the ocean is visible as a thin strip of blue-gray off in the distance. Also visible now and then in the dista
Leesa's Advent Chapter 515
The soldiers have let go of their guns. Those who have swords are gripping them at their sides; the rest are holding their spears flat along the ground. For one of the few times in my life, I wish I had a sword instead of a machete. My blade’s lack of a point renders it useless for this particular defense, so I leave it sheathed on my back. Instead, I grip my new spear tightly.Kai is lying next to me, holding his sword in his right hand. His bow and several arrows lay on the ground beside him, ready for quick use if needed. His left hand rests reassuringly on my shoulder. If it wasn’t for the rapidly approaching flying monsters that want to make us their dinner, lying like this with Kai would quite enjoyable. My Dad is stretched out behind me, guarding me from that side.“Don’t worry, Leah,” Kai says softly into my ear. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”Despite the imminent threat, somehow I believe him. His q
Leesa's Advent Chapter 516
Doc's miraculous healing power allows us to be back on our way as soon as the Marines have finished burying their fallen comrades. Thanks to Doc, the wounded men are now as fit and healthy as they were prior to the attack. Before we leave, Dad says a few poignant words over the makeshift graves of the fallen soldiers, praising their service and their sacrifice. After a chorus of “amen’s” and “semper fi’s” we set out north along the highway again. I think every one of us is anxious to leave this place of death behind.In addition to the scattered houses we pass, another clue that we’re approaching civilization—if there’s any civilization left up here—is the increasing number of highway signs and even a few billboards that we see. Most of the signs are rusted, bent and twisted, if not knocked down completely, and the billboards are in tatters from the years of weather and neglect. Two of the signs were damaged by Anoma
Leesa's Advent Chapter 517
The floor of the store is much harder than the leaves and ground we’ve been sleeping on, but I don’t really mind. I’m tired enough to fall asleep anywhere, and it’s kind of nice to have a roof over our heads and solid walls around us for a change.A moment after I lay down, Kai squats beside me.“I’m going outside,” he tells me in a soft voice. “I’ll feel better keeping watch out there instead of in here. I’ve already told your father.”“Okay,” I say, understanding his unease. I’m glad he let me know he was going out, though. “I’ll sleep better knowing you’ll be watching over us.”Kai rests his hand lightly on my shoulder. “Sleep well, Leah. I won’t let anything in.”With that, he vanishes into the darkness, moving as silently as a wraith.I wake up with a shudder, opening my eyes to blackness. I know ex
Leesa's Advent Chapter 518
After a quick breakfast inside the store, we’re on our way north again. The highway remains pretty much the same as the day before—flanked by lots of commercial buildings in various states of disrepair. Only a few show the distinctive destruction caused by a portal opening up. The rest appear to simply be victims of neglect. I find myself wondering what happened to all the people who lived in this area. It clearly had once been home to a fairly large population. Not city large, but large enough. There’s no trace of them now, though. Either they’re all dead or have long ago fled this place, or they avoid the main roadways and remain in hiding elsewhere in the area.It’s the middle of another beautiful sunny afternoon when Kai returns from one of his frequent scouting forays. He walks with a rapid, determined-looking stride directly up to my dad. Since I’m just a little bit behind, I hurry forward to see what Kai has to report.“
Leesa's Advent Chapter 519
Late the next day, we come to a literal fork in the road. We’ve pretty much left the developed area around Monterey and the surrounding towns behind. The landscape is once again more rustic, covered with long grasses, bushy shrubs and scattered trees. For a little while we were along the ocean again, before curving more inland.We’re on the outskirts of a small town a road sign tells us is called Castroville. Route 1, which we’ve followed for almost all our trip, heads to the left. Highway 156 veers off to the right.Dad and Lieutenant Gregerson are squatting over an old road map. I’m peering over Dad’s shoulder, curious as usual. Kai is apparently not interested in maps, because he’s standing off to the side. He’ll go along with whatever Dad decides.From Dad and the lieutenant’s discussion, I know the choice comes down to staying on Route 1, which will return to the coast and be somewhat winding as it follows the shore, or to head inland to Highway 101, which seems to be much more o
Leesa's Advent Chapter 520
I head back inside and join my friends for a quick meal of energy bars, nuts and dried fruit. It’s actually pretty tasty, though a bit boring. It beats going hungry, that’s for sure.Less than half an hour after I opened my eyes, we’re on our way north again. The powder blue sky is striped with high, wispy cirrus clouds and the temperature is cool but pleasant. It’s another fine day for a long walk.We’ve been walking for several uneventful hours when Radar suddenly stops. From the look on her face, I know what’s coming.“Anomaly!” she shouts, pointing to a spot just to the right of the road.There’s no need for her to wave her orange cap here. The Marines are well-trained for this. Dealing with Anomalies—and the things that come through them—is their primary responsibility back in San Diego. Two dozen of them quickly form a semi-circle in front of the spot Radar indicated. The two guys carrying flamethrowers take up stations at either end of the curved line of soldiers.The rest of t
Leesa's Advent Chapter 521
We reach the southern outskirts of Santa Cruz shortly before noon the following day. It’s a pretty big town—at least it was back before The Incident. Not San Diego or San Francisco big, but a decent sized place nonetheless. I know from our cram course about the California coast that Santa Cruz was home to a large university and was considered a very progressive city.Now, however, it looks deserted. A long section of the highway we’re following is elevated, allowing us to see a good distance in all directions. To our right, green hills covered with houses rise to a height of several hundred feet, while to our left the downtown section of the city stretches off to the ocean. From our raised vantage point, I can see a large number of destroyed buildings—far more than would be found in a similar-sized section of San Diego. I guess that comes from being so much closer to where The Incident occurred. Some of the destruction looks like it resulted from battles being fought, but a big propor
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