Solstice: A Novel of the Zombie Apocalypse Read Free

daughter for the protagonist in Carter’s The Magic Toyshop . Sadly, the moniker became more an omen than a name. Little did Mother know on that sweet, sunlit morning that her daughter’s future would follow a similar path as the fictional Melanie. The real Melanie would also find herself with a mother and father scattered in pieces along a stretch of faraway land. She would become an orphan, cast away to live under the shadow, not of a maniacal uncle, but of a cold, unsympathetic woman who would more quickly turn her out into the Swedish winter than welcome her into their home.
    She rested her head against the back of the seat and closed her eyes. Her mind drifted back to the day she’d learned of her parents’ death, five years ago.
    “ Your parents, Melanie. They’re… gone,” the headmistress said, her normally stern tone suddenly soft. Somehow, that odd softness only added to the nightmarish reality of the words. She grasped Melanie’s hand in hers, making Melanie want to pull away from the old woman’s cold, dry touch.
    Sunlight poured into the office, too bright for a day when a girl’s parents had died. A man was there, blond as an angel. She should have known him—she’d seen him before—many times in her seventeen years, but in her state, she just couldn’t place him.
    “ Melanie. I’m a good friend of your father. Remember me? I’m Tomas…”
    Melanie withdrew her cell from her coat pocket and sat a moment, trying to decide what to do. She wanted to just call and tell Tomas she wouldn’t be back, that some of her friends had decided to remain in the city and spend Christmas together. She dialed Tomas’s number and her favorite photo of him holding Christopher popped onto the screen. She stared at the picture a moment, her thumb hovering over the Talk button. She had never seen a happier expression on Tomas’s face than when he was with his son.
    After another moment, she hit Home and put the phone back in her pocket.
     
    ***
     
    Trollhättan, Sweden
     
     
     
     
     
    Tomas returned home without Bo, unsure of how to handle the dog’s disappearance with Christopher. He’d hoped, by some wondrous miracle, the shepherd might be waiting on the front lawn. No dice. He wasn’t sure if he was more anxious over the dog being gone or his young son’s reaction. The kid loved that dog; he had known Bo all his short life. Christopher was a creature of routine. The evening would be difficult, unless the festival could provide enough distraction.
    Tomas entered the warm house, went to the kitchen, and tossed his keys onto the counter with an echoing clank. Upstairs, Leila sang Christopher some little song from Bolibompa . Christopher chimed in, giggling and off-key, making Tomas smile even as he leaned over the sink to wash the blood from his face and hands.
    The morning had been shitty so far, but hearing Christopher’s little voice made everything seem all right again. Briefly, he allowed himself to imagine things were still good between him and Leila, and for a moment, even the dilemma of the missing dog no longer seemed such an immense problem.
    He flipped on the small countertop television set, hoping to catch the weather report. He didn’t want anything to spoil the Solstice festival. He had looked forward to taking Christopher for weeks.
    A female announcer grinned too widely at the camera. “A solar event could disrupt electrical systems on Earth. Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, do not produce intense light. However, areas of northern Europe and Britain have fragile power grids and may possibly be without power from several hours to several days. Although most researchers agree the utilities will likely go unaffected, those with generators may want to consider checking their fuel reserves, just in case.”
    Tomas frowned and changed the channel. The news networks loved to play up the smallest stories. It must be a slow news week.
    Winter sun poured through the skylights, and glancing