The Bleed: Book 2: RAPTURE David Moody (the red fox clan txt) 📖

monsters caught up to the trailing people. Bloody slaughter did not even begin to accurately describe the carnage. Broken bodies were being flung into the air. Some were torn apart, others fell hard to the ground and were trampled underfoot, whether from those fleeing or those pursuing, which mattered little to those dying. “Come on.” She pushed outward with her hands, the ball shifted, as did Kalandar, though he said nothing. “I can do this.” She pushed and stepped forward. Though she couldn’t see it, she intrinsically knew that the ball was spinning. She’d never been in one of the human-sized beach balls, but she’d seen videos of them, and that was what she was desperately trying to emulate as she pushed and walked. She was fearful she was going to step entirely out of the sphere or somehow leave Kalandar behind, but whatever magic he had created, he was tethered to it. As the ball moved, so did he.

“At this pace, there will be nothing left.” She gritted her teeth before realizing she needed to make an adjustment. The footing of the ball was two feet into the ground, the drag of the dirt making it more difficult to move. She pushed upward, even going so far as to stand on her tiptoes, not sure if it was necessary. The next time she pushed forward, it was considerably easier. It was similar to the training she had endured before leaving Earth. She had been in a deep wading pool with an expanding band tied to her waist, and she’d had to run against the ever tensing band. “A little higher.” She was careful to make sure she didn’t lift the ball so high as to have her feet sticking out like Fred Flintstone making his car go. She’d seen a few of the old cartoons as a child, before the wars had got completely out of hand and any chance at returning to a semblance of normality had vacated the planet.

The ball, as she’d come to think of it, moved much easier, not much harder than if she were out for an uphill run. She’d stayed in shape during her time on the moon, but exercising on a treadmill was not quite the same thing, as she began to get up to speed.

“Shit, a bogger.” She was watching as a monster had peeled off from the main group and decided that she and Kalandar might make a nice meal. “Okay, okay, think, Maddie! I can manipulate, I can take an intangible thing and make it do other intangible things… Yeah, that’s actually helpful.” She’d come up with an idea; she hoped it would work. She kept a steady course for the hotel as the bogalite was coming in hot from the side. Her feet were pointing one way, but she was all eyes for the monster. It hit, and she was pushed hard to the side. The entire personal habitat was sent off-course by the impact. As she regained her feet, she saw that the bogalite had fallen over onto its back, its legs straight up in the air.

“Huh! Big bad bogger’s not a fan of a little electricity are you!” Maddie shouted. She quieted her celebration as Kalandar mumbled something. She gave the thing the middle finger just as another idea came to mind. It was going to take so long to get to the hotel, and then more time for them to come to an agreement to do something, and that was if they even figured that they could do something, and then even more time to implement the plan. “Screw it, I’m already here.” The bogalites had slowed as they had run headlong into people. Those trailing were doing their best to get to the front where the action and food was, but had not yet succeeded. This was going to be Maddie’s point of attack. She was at an angle to the line as she struck, bowling through one, then another. She was deflected further in, but she didn’t care. She was killing each one as effectively as a boot on a scurrying cockroach. “Fuck the Bleed! I’m Maddie the Electrocutioner! Come and get it assholes!”

She’d killed dozens and still there were hundreds. Finally the exertion was beginning to take its toll. As she tired, so did the intensity of the electrical charge. Her breathing was labored, and she was convinced that swimming in a pool entirely consisting of sweat would not have made her so drenched. The multiple strikes had also slowed her down considerably; she was hardly moving, and now she and Kalandar were basically in a small fishbowl at a seafood restaurant where the hungry diners got to personally select their entree before it was prepared fresh. Maddie had her hands on her knees and was hunched over. Her head was up as she watched the bogalites hopping all around, some smacking into the side, others jumping on top as they pounced. The ball would have been sent skittering away if not for the press of so many monsters.

“What have you done?” She didn’t know when Kalandar had awakened nor when he’d stood. He was glancing about, as was she.

“I was trying to make a difference.”

“How’s that working out?”

“Good…for about a minute.”

“Hmm, what did you say your last name was? The person I knew also had a bad habit of leaping before looking. Generally, with the same results.”

“Do something!”

“Is that bogalite genitalia?” Kalandar was looking up. “How do you suppose they use that?”

“I don’t care, and I don’t want to know!” Maddie was afraid the sheer press of the monsters would shatter the bubble. She’d never liked crowds—tolerated them as the need had arisen—but this was a wholly different animal. “Can you get us out of here?” Maddie was dancing on the balls of her feet, doing her best to suppress the panic that was beginning to well up.

“I have some of my power restored, but anything I do will necessitate me