Love Bug Read Online Free Page A

asked, a note of concern vanishing with a single mechanical beep.
    “We’ll be fine, sweetie,” Mrs. Eldritch waved dismissively, using the term of endearment out of habit, not affection. “Just sit back and relax.”
    “Don’t be stupid , Cora!” Xander snapped. “They’re just animals. You’ll probably have a full blown melt down if we pass a deer.” Cora’s brother, Xander, was twelve, but had already begun to prepare for his entrance into the politics. He idolized their father and resented the attention he felt was wasted on Cora. If an Eldritch was going to be the head of the ERC, Xander was determined it be him.
    The world suddenly felt upended, the laws of gravity momentarily no longer keeping Cora and her family safely planted on the plush leather benches of the limo. A blinding flash of white pain shot through Cora’s mind. Loud shrieks filled the cabin of the limo. Cora’s mind struggled to place the sounds. Were the sounds from the crash? Was it the Reds?
    As the limo finished its tumble through the field, Cora realized the sound had been coming from her own mouth. Her head throbbed and her throat was raw. An eerie silence settled over the passenger cabin of the limo. Dappled sunlight danced through the interior, filtered through cracked tinted windows.
    “Mom?” Cora called again, the word calling to mind memories of her mother’s dismissive response from moments before. “Xander? Are you okay?” Her brother groaned, but didn’t respond. Cora’s mother was silent. In the front of the limo, the security officer cursed loudly, sliding through shattered glass.
    “Ms. Eldritch, stay here,” the officer grunted as he slid out the broken side window. He drew his pistol and quickly scanned the area. “I’m sure that a recovery team is en route. Stay here where it’s safe, there may be more-…” The officer’s words were cut short as two sets of filthy hands clamped over his face and pulled him to the ground. A loud shriek followed by three erratic pistol shots filled the air outside of the ruined limo.
    Something banged against the side of the limo. Blood, thick and red began to run down the side of the limo’s door creating the image of a hellish waterfall. It pooled and began slowly to seep further into the vehicle. 
    Pain radiated through Cora’s body, but another odd sensation filled her mind. Something twisted in Cora’s insides, tightening around her heart and making it hard to breath e.
    “Xander? Xander, please,” Cora pleaded. A throaty scream resonated outside of the limo. More could be heard in the distance.
    The strange feeling tangling itself around Cora’s insides intensified. Bile burned the back of her throat. For the first time in her life, Cora felt fear.
    Cora tried to stifle it, tried to keep her mouth closed, but with no practice, Cora was unable to keep the scream inside.
     

 
    -5-
     
    A voice in Remmy’s head screamed for him to stop. What he was doing was completely stupid, he knew that it was, but he couldn’t stop himself. Something about the girl’s scream called to him, beckoned to some innate primal urge to protect.
    Moments before Remmy dropped from the tree, he watched an ERC officer crawl out from the vehicle. The man drew a pistol and checked the surrounding area, but failed to look on the top of the wrecked limo. Two Reds descended on him, dragging him to the ground, tearing into the soft flesh of his face with hands and teeth. The ERC officer flailed, firing shots wildly. One found its target and dropped the Red to the ground.
    The second Red lifted the ERC officer from the ground and slammed him against the side of the ruined vehicle. Screaming wildly, the Red buried its teeth in the man’s throat. Blood gushed from the wound, coating the door of the vehicle.
    Remmy had seen blood before, remembered the Martinez family, but he had never seen carnage of this sort, had never been front row to observe the Reds’ violence firsthand. It was