Abandon: The Last Light - Prologue

Prologue - The Deal

It was the dead of night in the mall. The cold light of the moon cascaded through the skylights, and reflected off the top of the wishing fountain. Its lifeless gleam wavered against the walls, casting an eerie blue glow inside the mall’s rotunda. The silver coins of broken wishes glittered at the bottom of the pool like the scales on a dead fish.

The stores were dark and empty, save for the few survivors huddled up together. The place was cool and quiet, like a tomb. The tired and weary people watched as the lone man paced around the window of the somber toy store.

Dan stood there, staring at the stuffed animals inside. They stared back with dead plastic eyes and stitched smiles. A perfect facade of happiness, safe behind the glass. Dan wanted to reach in and grab them. He wanted to feel his hands wrap around their necks until each one was torn apart and bleeding out white stuffing onto the ground.

His hand slammed against the glass. Gemma appeared beside him in an instant, draping a blanket over his shoulders. She gave a brief nod to the silent onlookers watching from behind the department store displays of shoes, mannequins, and sports gear. Pale faces peered out from the dark. Then she led Dan away.

She rested him down on a display bed in the back of the department store, and grabbed a bottle of water. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled the blanket up to his neck and brushed his shoulders.

"Dan, I need you to be better. Please."

"I promise I’m trying. I just. . . It won’t go away, you know? It’s always there."

She wrapped her arms around him. "I know, baby. I know. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"I-don't know.”

He looked up at his wife, his eyes sad and defeated. "Dis called a meeting. We have to go out tomorrow. Says Peter has to learn to be a soldier. To earn his place because he’s at that age.”

"I know, but that’s what we signed up for. We took the deal he gave us," she said.

He looked into her sodden eyes. They were a reflection of his, full of sadness and fear. “I just didn’t think it’d be so soon after finding you again.”

“I'm so glad you found us."

He threw his arms around her, and squeezed, trying to pull her closer. "Me too.”

They held each other for a moment until Dan thought about the boys. He began glancing over his shoulder, his frantic eyes searching the darkness for movement. “I need to go check on the boys. I need to see them."

“Dan, we just sat down. Let them sleep.”

He didn’t acknowledge her as he got up and left.

Dan walked through the aisles of houseware and decorated bedroom suites until he came to his two sons. They were both sound asleep, sharing a mattress on the floor. He looked down at them, tracing every line on their round, childish faces, trying his best to memorize every innocent contour. When his oldest, Peter, sighed in his sleep, Dan took a step back. His face disappeared into the shadows where he stood.

"He's still just a boy," Dan said, as his wife walked up.

Her hand encircled his. "I know.”

"I can't let him go out there. Not yet. He's just too young."

"What else are we going to do? After everything we've. . . You've been through. If we don't follow the rules now, they will kick us out. You've seen how things are. If we aren't useful, we're gone. I don't want Peter out there anymore than you do, but what choice do we have?"

Dan’s lips pursed as he stared at the two boys. Inside, a thousand hellish memories battled for his attention. The name "Jerald" escaped his lips. Gemma flinched, but didn’t speak. Her grip only tightened.

Something brushed over his shoulder and Dan jumped. A flash of fire, a scream, the smell of death. He grabbed the man’s hand and twisted the wrist until Carlos grunted in pain. The man contorted, trying to alleviate the pressure.

"God damn it! Let me go!"

Dan released his grip, mortified by his action. The man winced, holding his wrist.

"I'm sorry!"

"I was just coming to check on you, fuck!"

Dan heard his boys rousing behind him. "Dad, is everything alright?" Peter asked.

Gemma rushed over to her boys. "Everything is fine. We didn’t mean to wake you."

As Carlos rubbed his wrist, Dan took a fearful step away. "Look, it was an accident. I’m sorry, okay?”

"Jesus, chill out, man. I’m not gonna hurt you. I just wanted to make sure you knew what tomorrow was. You and the boy.”

Dan looked away. “Yeah, thanks. We'll be there."

Carlos walked off, muttering under his breath. Gemma settled the boys back to sleep.

Dan stayed in the shadows, staring at his hands. They were still trembling. Or maybe they weren’t. Maybe it was just in his head again.

He looked at Peter. He was just a boy.

Abandon: The Last Light (Canto One)

Canto One

What We Remember

Dan came into the house through the sliding glass door and dropped his tool box on the table with a heavy thud. The smell of fresh chocolate cake hung in the air, so sweet it was almost nauseating. His wife, Gemma, was standing at the stove, stirring a pot of homemade frosting. The unfinished cake was sitting on the counter next to her.

Gemma smiled at him. “How’s the project coming along? You finished yet?”

He sat down at the table. “Yep, just finished. She’d better appreciate it. That damn thing nearly broke me.”

“I’m sure she’ll love it.” She slid her arms over his shoulders. He gripped her forearm and rested his head against her.

“You think?”

“I know she will. She’s always wanted a playhouse.”

“Get a room, you two,” Peter said, coming through the door. He popped open the refrigerator and grabbed a soda.

Gemma turned toward Peter. “Hey, that’s for the party!”

“But . . .” Peter’s finger flirted with the tab.

Dan narrowed his eyes. “Do what she tells you.”

“Fine.” He put the drink back and grabbed a bottle of water instead. “You two still need to get a room.”

“Oh, but I love your father so much,” Gemma said, smiling. She began kissing Dan all over his face and neck, making the man giggle. Intentionally annoying their son.

“Gross,” Peter said. “Hey, have you guys heard about all the commotion on the news??”

“Nah, what’s going on?” Dan asked.

“Scientists are saying the stars are disappearing from the night sky. They have no clue what's going on.”

“Oh, I bet Ann finds that interesting," Gemma said.

“Who cares? Nerd shit.”

Dan ruffled his hair. “Hey. Language. Your sister might be smarter than us. Don’t tease her for it.”

He waved the comment off. “Nerds.”

Gemma smiled. “Be nice to your sister. This should be a big deal to her. Besides, it's kind of wild if you think about it.”

“Like I said, whatever. I’m out,” he said, leaving. The sound of his bedroom door closing echoed through the hall.

Gemma turned back to the stove. “Still mouthy, but he’s getting better. Teen angst aside.”

“Well, it’s been over a year. I think he was more upset about her giving me custody than her death.”

“Divorce is hard enough without their mom around. . .”

“She made his life a lot harder. That’s what selfish people do. She could have gotten help. She chose not to.”

Ann stepped into the kitchen, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the cake. “Is this my cake?”

“Antonia Teal, out. Now,” Gemma said, moving to block the cake from view.

The little girl smiled at Dan. “Talk some sense into her, Dad.”

“Uh-oh, don’t drag me into this,” Dan said. “You know when Mom breaks out the full name, it’s serious.”

He scooped her up and held her over the cake. The frosting read: Congratulations!

“Damn it, you two. This was supposed to be a surprise.”

“Surprise!” Dan grinned wide, trying to crack her resolve. She finally smirked.

“I don’t even think we needed a cake,” she said, beaming. “That spelling bee was easy. Vacuum—V-A-C-U-U-M. Vacuum.”

“Get outta here, kid,” Dan said, messing the girl’s hair. “She’s turning into a little smart ass, huh?”

“Yeah, clearly your daughter,” Gemma said, turning back to the stove. “You wanna stay up and watch the stars with me? If what they say is true, maybe we’ll see them go.”

“I could think of some things I’d rather stay up for,” Dan said, wrapping his arms around her.

“Hey! Watch it. Not near the stove.”

He kissed her and pulled away.

“Ann wants to watch from her window. I said it was fine. The boys say they’ll stay up too, but I doubt it—neither of them makes it past ten.”

“Yeah, she’s our little night owl. I wonder what kind of miscreant she’s going to grow up to be. Nothing good happens at night.”

“Weren’t you born at night?”

He gave her a goofy wink. “Exactly.”

“So, it’s okay?”

Glass bottles clinked as he rummaged through the fridge. “Looks fine to me.” He cracked open a soda with a loud hiss.

Gemma shot him a look. “Hey! That’s for the party.”

He turned it up and chugged it down.

Gemma leaned on the window sill and looked out as Dan threw his can away.

“Do we even remember what the sky looked like last night?” she asked. “Maybe we should take a picture or something. Just to compare.”

She glanced over her shoulder, but the room was empty.

Abandon: The Last Light. (Canto Two)

Canto Two

Something Got Out

Dan and Gemma both awoke to a loud thumping coming from down the hall. He crawled out of bed without hesitation and grabbed his gun from the nightstand. Gemma’s hand went down on top of his.

“The kids,” she said, with a pleading look in her eyes.

He nodded and grabbed for the baseball bat instead. “Stay here.” The electronic clock blinked 12:00. “Power’s out.”

Gemma scooted to the edge of the bed as he opened the door and slid out into the hall. With his chest pounding, he snuck down the hallway until he came to Peter’s room. He cracked the door and peeked in. His oldest was laying on his back, dead asleep with the television on. It was nothing but static.

The next room was Jacob’s, his youngest. The boy was lying in the floor with his leg trapped under his body. Every few seconds, he’d hear a slight snore.

A terrified scream from downstairs pulled him from the room. He rushed to Ann’s room. The door stood wide open. Ann was gone. The room felt wrong. A cool breeze came through the open window, wisping the curtains back and forth. Outside, he could hear the constant barking of the neighbor’s dog.

Dan took the stairs two at a time, gripping the banister. He turned hard on the landing and ran into the kitchen. His daughter was standing there, next to the stove with a large knife in her hand. The blade was at her wrist. He stopped as panic rose in his throat.

She pointed the blade at him. “Stay back! Please.” Her hand was shaking, and there were tears in her eyes.

“Baby, put the knife down,” he said, inching closer. “Gemma! Get down here, now!”

“Daddy, please, don’t come any closer. “ She put the blade's sharp edge back on her wrist. “You don’t understand.”

“Help me understand, baby,” he said, kneeling down. His hand was out, trying to inch close enough to grab his trembling daughter. Gemma came into the kitchen and stopped, her hand covering a gasp.

Tears poured down Ann’s cheeks. “No, no, I can’t.”

Her fingers tightened against the handle as she pointed it at her parents.

“I want to hurt you,” she sobbed.

“Please… just get back.”

Gemma broke down at the sight of her daughter. “No, no, no. Baby, don’t.”

Dan lunged at Ann and grabbed her. The girl’s teeth went into his arm, and he screamed. He was about to take the knife away when her tiny fingers raked across his eyes. He stumbled back, and slipped on the tile. His little girl charged at him, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Dan managed to get her arms before she could drive the knife into his chest. Gemma wrapped both arms around her daughter and pulled her away.

“Stop me, please stop me!” she said, crying. “I can’t help it!”

Gemma tried to get the knife away from her daughter, but it was too late. The blade slid across the little girl’s wrist, opening the vein. Blood shot out, spraying the counters and cabinet. Dan rushed to her, but Ann screamed, and started slicing at anything she could. The blade raked across his forearm, but the wound was superficial.

Dan knocked the knife away from Ann, and grabbed a kitchen towel. He clamped it on his daughter’s wrist as Gemma struggled to restrain her. He dug through the junk drawer and pulled out a roll of duct tape.

“What’s wrong with her?” Gemma asked.

“I don’t know,” Dan snapped, struggling with the tape. “I don’t—God, I don’t know.”

He grabbed the phone off the wall and dialed 911, but the line was dead. He dropped it to the ground and looked for his cell. It was on the kitchen counter attached to the charger. He dialed the numbers again, but the phone wouldn’t call out. It just beeped in his ear a few times and disconnected.

“We gotta get her to the hospital,” Dan said. “Can you hold her while I drive?”

“I can try,” she said, straining against the flailing child.

Dan glanced up and saw Peter and Jacob, standing there in horror.

“Peter, get the car ready!” he yelled. “Jacob, I want you in the back—away from Ann!” They both nodded with large panic-stricken eyes and left, eager to escape the scene before them.

He grabbed Ann’s kicking feet and together, they carried her out of the house while she flailed like a hooked fish.

“Stop it!” she screamed. “Let me go. You don’t understand!”

The car was on and ready to go as they came outside. The headlights were blinding as he passed but he still saw Peter in the front seat, behind the wheel.

“I need you in the back helping Gemma,” Dan said. Peter hesitated as Ann flopped around snapping like an animal at anything near her face. “Now!”

Peter jumped out and opened the back door. Gemma pulled her daughter backwards into the small SUV and held her there while Dan and Peter switched off holding her legs. A stray foot caught the boy in the mouth, bringing blood to his lip.

“I’m sorry!” Ann said, crying. Her blood was already leaking out of the towel. “I’m so sorry.”

Dan jumped in the front seat, put the vehicle in reverse, and took off towards the hospital. Ann screamed and cried in the back, while begging for their forgiveness.

“I’m sorry,” Ann whispered, her voice cracking.

“Tell Mommy... the bad parts got out.”

Abandon: The Last Light (Canto 3)

Canto Three

He sped down the winding road, taking the sharp curves with reckless abandon. His will alone kept the vehicle on the asphalt. His wife and oldest son sat behind him, trying to subdue his daughter as she fought to hurt them anyway she could. Her nails and teeth tried to tear at their skin as her arms and legs struggled against their grip.

Dan dialed 911 again, but the phone was silent. He tossed it into the floorboard.

“Hold her down!” Dan said, looking at Peter in the rearview mirror.

Peter struggled to keep his sister subdued. “I’m trying!”

“Look out!” Jacob screamed from the cargo area of the SUV.

Dan looked back to the road and saw a woman waving her hands. He hit the brakes hard, skidding to a stop. The middle-aged woman was panicked, looking over her shoulder every few seconds as she approached his window.

“Please, you’ve gotta help me,” she said. “My husband…he’s-”

Dan saw blood on her hands and hit the gas, speeding away.

“She needed help,” Gemma said, her voice strained.

“How’s Ann?” he asked, his voice catching in his throat.

“The towel is soaked through,” Gemma said, yelling over the girl’s screams.

He looked at Ann through the mirror again and choked back tears as he spoke. “It’s okay. It’s gonna be fine. You just hold tight, baby. We’re gonna get you to the hospital. Everything’s gonna be alright.”

He felt that knot of emotion catch in his throat again, but he swallowed it down. “The hospital’s only another mile or so. Stay strong, baby.”

They came over the hill into the small suburban town, and horror struck him. Fires lit the night sky as people ran around with gasoline cans, igniting anything they could. On his left, he saw an immolated man, writhing in flames before falling to the ground in agony. Dan rolled up his window to keep out the stench of burnt flesh and the man’s desperate cries.

People ran, screaming in terror, scrambling for safety. Their insane pursuers were only a few feet behind, howling like rabid animals. They held farm tools and other weapons as they chased the helpless, hungry for blood.

Dan was stunned. “Kids, close your eyes.”

Less than fifty feet away, just outside Tom’s hardware store, two women beat a man to death with a pickaxe and shovel. The man tried to protect his face and head, but the blunt objects crushed his hands. All around them, people screamed out in terror while others laughed and sang like deranged children.

“Jesus loves me, this I know...”

Dan threw the vehicle into reverse and spun it around.

Gemma’s eyes went wide. “What are you doing?”

“You see this shit out there? We’ll never make it. I’m taking her to Billy’s.”

“What? Why?”

“He was a medic in the military. He has to help her because there’s no other choice.”

“But that was years ago…”

He shifted into drive. “It’s not up for discussion!”

The back glass shattered as an axe came through it. A sadistic woman reached in to grab his son. She snarled as she clawed at Jacob, trying to get a good grip on the kicking boy. Dan looked her in the eye as he hit the gas, headed back down the road they’d come. She held on for a moment, but her body was pulled out of the window, dragging her exposed flesh across the sharp glass shards. Blood ran down the inside of the hatch and onto the grey carpeted floor.

In the rearview mirror, Dan watched Jacob. The boy just sat there, staring out the window as the woman chased them. The city disappeared behind them as Dan did his best to leave it behind. He looked at his daughter, still fighting, still crying for help. He hit the rearview mirror with his hand, pushing it out of his sight.

Abandon: The Last Light (Canto 4)

Abandon — reading order

← Previous: Abandon: The Last Light (Canto 3)

Start from the beginning

You’ve reached the latest chapter currently available.

Canto Four

They were speeding down a dark road when Dan reached back to place a hand on his daughter. “How’s she doing?”

“She’s starting to calm down,” Peter said.

“No...” Gemma said, crying. “She’s starting to die. Please Dan, get us there soon, or she’s not going to make it.”

He could hear his daughter’s light grunts and heavy breathing. “I’m sorry,” she said, in her little girl voice. The kid who had just graduated fifth grade was coming out again.

“It’s okay, honey,” Dan said, wiping a stream of tears from his eye. “It’s okay.”

His eyes darted back to the road as a car came at them. He hit the brakes just in time to miss the front end of the vehicle. It barreled past them and crashed into the side of a house. The car went through the wall, stopping inside the living room.

Dan snapped out of his stupor at the sound of his wife screaming, “Go!” He hit the gas and sped down the road, still looking back at the gaping hole in the house through his side mirror.

Minutes later, they reached Billy’s house. It was a large ranch style home, occupying the corner lot at the crossroads. Dan slid between two large oak trees, and came to a stop in the man’s green, front yard. The SUV left deep, muddy tracks across the grass. Dan jumped out and yanked open the back door. Peter handed off Ann’s legs and then crawled out. Dan slid the unconscious girl out and cradled her in his arms.

“Dan!” Gemma said, getting out. “What if they’re sick too?”

He stared at her for a few seconds, uncertain what to do and then rushed up to the front stoop. He banged on the door once and it opened. Billy, an older man with salt-and-pepper hair, a chubby face, and large-rimmed glasses, stood behind the threshold with a double barreled shotgun pointed at Dan.

“Billy, I need your help. It’s Ann,” he said, but Billy could see the blood dripping off her limp hands and onto the concrete.

“What’s wrong with her?” he asked from behind the gun.

“She cut her own wrist,” Dan said. “She’s dying. Please…”

“Barbara, get the first aid kit!” he yelled over his shoulder. He pointed the gun at Gemma and the boys. “They stay outside.”

“It’s too dangerous out here,” Dan said. “Have you seen what’s going on?”

Billy exhaled hard, lowered the gun. “Around back is a door that leads into my crawl space. I don’t want you in my house, but you can stay down there for now.”

Gemma grabbed her terrified boys and led them around the side of the house without looking away from Dan. Their eyes were locked until she disappeared around the corner, and he was left there with Billy. The weight of his daughter bore down on his shoulders.

“Inside,” Billy said, holding the door. Dan rushed into the house and Billy closed the thick wooden door and bolted it. “Put her on the island in the kitchen.”

Dan ran to the kitchen and laid his daughter on the marble top. Barbara, a thin, frail woman with long, curly black hair, sat the first aid kit down next to Ann, and then grabbed some towels and a large pan of water. She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol. Billy cleaned the blood away by pouring water onto it and examined the wound the best he could.

“It’s been a while, but I think I can handle this. You need to go to your family,” Billy said. “I’ll let you know when I’m done.”

“But…” Dan said.

“No buts,” Billy said, stopping him. “I can’t work on your little girl if you’re standing over my shoulder. Go, I’ll take care of this. There’s a stairwell in the back on the left.”

Dan hovered a moment longer, watching as Billy worked on his daughter’s wrist. His little girl was unconscious, sleeping like the dead. He walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway. He found the door, unlocked it and stepped down into the damp crawl space below.

Once his foot hit the damp earth, he had to slouch his head and shoulders to move around. His wife and two sons were resting up against a cinderblock wall. All of them were crying. She had her arms around both, trying to console them but Dan could see it in her eyes: she needed them just as much.

“Is she all right?” she asked, sniffling.

“I don’t know,” he said. He slid down the wall next to Peter and put his arm around them. They all huddled a little closer, holding each other in a tight embrace.

“I shouldn’t have made fun of her so much,” Peter said.

Outside, they could hear howls and screams tearing through the night. Dan scooted closer to his son and took his hand, squeezing it. The nerve-wracking sounds carried on until just before dawn.

Cart (0)