Chloe Zombie Apocalypse series (Book 3): Chloe (A New World) Read Online Free Page B

voices. Whispering voices.
    “What if they heard us?” a woman asked.
    “We can explain.”
    “You really think so?”
    Chloë waited for the footsteps to reach the front left of the tent she was hiding behind. And when they did, she took in a deep breath. Crept around towards her tent again. She didn’t know whether anyone had seen her. Didn’t know whether they were on to her. But she had to get back to bed. She had to get back to bed and pretend she hadn’t heard a word they’d said.
    She crawled through the opening in her tent. The footsteps got closer. She climbed into her sleeping bag, Dad still snoring beside her. Squeezed her eyes shut.
    “The tent there. It’s open.”
    Chloë heard the footsteps right outside her tent. She felt the presence of someone right outside. The change in the draft as they opened it up a little more to take a look.
    She felt their eyes burning into her.
    And then the tent zipped shut.
    The footsteps disappeared.
    Chloë opened her eyes. She knew she should sleep. She knew she should rest. But she couldn’t. Not after what she’d heard the people in that tent saying. Not after what she’d heard them discussing.
    “If we’re going to take this place, we’re going to have to take him out,” the woman had said.
    They were going to take this place. Take Bardsey Island.
    And Chloë knew.

Six
    C hloë held baby Kesha in her left arm and did her best not to drop her onto the floor.
    A day had passed since she’d overheard the conversation in the tent, and she hadn’t really thought much of it since. Everything on the island was okay. They were enjoying a bit of warm, sunny weather, so many of the islanders were going down to the rocks and swimming in the sea. A lot of the kids were enjoying it, too, all playing together, crabbing, climbing, that kind of thing.
    And here was Chloë, stuck in the nursery with eight babies all wailing around her, one of them in her arm.
    “You’re a natural, Chlo. Dunno what you were so worried about.”
    Chloë looked up from Kesha. Margery was walking towards her. She had a big smile on her jolly face. She was a plump woman, but that smile made her look nice. No matter how hard she tried not to like Margery, Chloë didn’t mind her at all. “I’m not.”
    Margery stood beside Chloë. Smiled, as she looked down at baby Kesha, who was smaller than a lot of the other kids. “None of us think we’re naturals. In fact, the people who think they’re naturals are the ones who end up being the worst parents.”
    “I think they smell funny.”
    “What?”
    “Babies. They… I don’t like the way they smell.”
    Margery frowned. Chloë wasn’t sure what that look meant. Just that she was doing her best job of babysitting because it’s what Dad wanted her to do.
    But she couldn’t deny she didn’t mind baby Kesha out of all of them.
    “Kesha here’s taking a real shine to you, isn’t she?”
    Chloë looked down into Kesha’s bright blue eyes. She always had a little smile on her face, even though she was probably too tiny to know how to smile. “She’s just a baby.”
    “And?”
    “Babies… babies don’t know. Whether they really like people.”
    Margery laughed a little. “Oh really? And where did you learn that one?”
    Chloë felt her cheeks flushing as she looked into Kesha’s eyes. She saw Kesha lift her little arms.
    “Go on,” Margery said. “Give her a hug.”
    Chloë felt her heart pounding. She didn’t want to. She knew it was a bad idea getting close to anyone at all.
    But then she did it. She lifted Kesha closer towards her.
    Kesha wrapped her arms around the back of Chloë’s neck.
    And then she threw up all down Chloë’s front.
    Margery laughed. Chloë smelled milky sick in the air. The front of her shirt was covered in baby gunk. She felt her cheeks flaring ever hotter.
    “Come on, you. Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
    Margery took Kesha from Chloë. Headed towards the door of the nursery. “You just