Solstice: A Novel of the Zombie Apocalypse

Solstice: A Novel of the Zombie Apocalypse Read Free Page B

Book: Solstice: A Novel of the Zombie Apocalypse Read Free
Author: Donna Burgess
Tags: Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult
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straggled along after them, Stu bringing up the rear.
    “Josh?” Stu said. “Another word and you’re not getting your Happy Meal prize.”
    A smattering of sleepy laughter rose, and Josh glanced back, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry, Mr. McCarthy.”
    Stu smiled back, relieved to have the bitching behind him, at least for the next ten minutes or so. “It’s fine. I think we’re all ready to get home for the holidays.”
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    December 21

 
     
     
    Chapter 3
    Between Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden
     
    Melanie sat against the wall of her train compartment, her ass half off the edge of the cot, tapping nervously on the window frame. After a moment, she realized what she was doing and forced herself to stop. Then, she fiddled with her hair. Stop it, Melanie. She found a box of antibacterial wipes in her overnight bag, pulled one out, and began to clean around her space—the armrest, the cushions where she would rest her head, the edge of the window, her own fingers. She cleaned her phone. Her compartment mates watched silently, and she only glanced at them and smiled.
    “Sorry. I’m a little nervous about going home. I’m kind of crazy.”
    The girl laughed. “We’re all kind of crazy. No worries.”
    After a while, Melanie settled down and pulled a blanket over herself. She wanted to sleep, but every time she began to doze, her compartment mates started jabbering again. The boy and girl were from school, but Melanie barely knew them beyond their first names—Oskar and Sara. Both appeared younger, but perhaps they were simply immature. Melanie had answered an ad on the commons bulletin board for a couple of people to share the expenses of a compartment back to Gothenburg, not to save the money, but because she wanted some company. Even the incessant chatter of the two, who obviously had friends in common, was better than a three-hour train ride in silence.
    She was exhausted and still fairly drunk. She and Kira had gone to the Solstice festival for a while, and then ended up at a party away from campus. But Melanie grew bored, as usual, with Kira forcing her to hang out with her boyfriend’s friend, someone with whom she shared nothing in common. She wasn’t sure how many different types of recreational drugs one guy could do in one short evening. Before the evening was over, shallow David was beginning to look pretty good.
    She had sent Tomas a text about her departure, and he responded that he would be there. Alone. He hadn’t wanted to drag Leila and Christopher out into the cold so early. She was glad. She could gauge Leila’s moods by Tomas’s demeanor. Tomas was always in good spirits, but sometimes it appeared he struggled to make himself seem that way. Melanie often wondered how Tomas could love someone so different from himself.
    Sara and Oskar shared a large chocolate bar, and Melanie was vaguely reminded of Hansel and Gretel from the old Bugs Bunny cartoon. Both were a bit on the heavy side, with bright yellow hair and crayon-blue eyes. Oskar offered Melanie a piece, but she declined. He shrugged and removed a silver flask from his coat. Another offer and again, Melanie declined. Sara took the flask and turned it up mannishly, then wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist.
    Hansel and Gretel seemed to be warming to her, not that Melanie especially cared. Still, it made the trip more comfortable. Outside, the darkened countryside whizzed past like smears of black and blue paint. Snow swirled against the glass like ashes rising from dying embers. The three of them made small talk, and speaking of home helped Melanie relax a little over the prospect of seeing the hateful wench.
    After a while, Sara, who’d just finished off whatever had been in the silver flask, excused herself to the washroom. Noisily, she was sick. After a moment, she emerged, ghastly pale.
    “May I close the screen?” she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she leaned

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