No Survivors Read Online Free Page A

she jogged, April saw a fat brown lizard watching them from a flat rock. A cloud of tiny white insects floated low over a clump of bright yellow wildflowers.
    The square wooden dock stood at the other end of the clearing. A bunch of kids clustered on the shore beside it.
    Kendra and two other girls were bent over, collecting shells. Anthony and Phil were tossing stones into the sparkling blue water.
    April waved when she saw Pam on the dock. ButPam didn’t see her. She was standing with a guy from the camera crew, tugging back her long blond hair, chattering away into the camera.
    Mira came jogging over to greet April and Kristen. “We wondered where you were!” she called.
    â€œWe got a little hung up,” Kristen replied.
    â€œPam won the race by three minutes,” Mira said, holding up a stopwatch.
    â€œBig surprise,” April said, rolling her eyes.
    They followed Mira to the dock. She handed them both cold bottles of water.
    â€œI guess we’re all here,” Blake, the other assistant, said to Mira. Blake was tall with wavy black hair and green eyes under heavy black eyebrows, and a warm smile.
    He turned to April and Kristen. “We were going to send out a search party for you.”
    Pam came running over. “Where were you guys?”
    â€œIt was too hot to run,” April said. Then she added, “Way to go, Pam. You won the race.”
    Pam smiled. “It’s only the first event.”
    â€œLet’s head back,” Blake shouted.
    Pam spun around. “Hey—where’s Clark?” she asked. “Has anyone seen Clark?”
    â€œI thought he was with you,” April said.
    â€œHe was,” Pam replied.
    â€œClark? Hey—Clark?” Blake shouted into the trees. “Clark!”
    Mira frowned at Pam. “Which way did you andClark come? Through the forest?”
    Pam shook her head. “No. We climbed over those strange blue rocks. We thought it might be a shortcut.”
    Pam’s next words sent a jolt of fear through April.
    â€œWe were at the top, near these deep, dark caves,” Pam said. “I thought Clark was close behind me. But I turned around, and…and he was gone.”

7
    â€œTonight we light the first torch for one of our missing,” Marks said somberly.
    He raised a burning stick to the torch. April heard a loud pop as the flame flared. Then it fluttered up against the black night sky.
    â€œOne will be called away from us every day,” Marks continued in his booming, deep voice. “Clark is the first to leave.”
    He turned to the line of kids standing just out of the torchlight. “Who will be next?” he asked dramatically.
    â€œHe is really hamming it up for the cameras,” Kristen whispered to April.
    But is it all just for TV? April wondered. Where is Clark? Is he safe somewhere? Or is he in real danger?
    â€œEvery night a new torch will be lighted,” Marks went on as the cameras moved in on him. “Every night we will remember one of our own. The last of us remaining will be our winner.”
    The cool night wind fluttered the torch flame. “Let us have a moment of silence now for Clark,” Marks said, bowing his head.
    One crew member swept his camcorder over the faces of the kids. April listened to the rush of waves splashing onto the shore. Somewhere beyond the village, an animal howled, a shrill, sad cry.
    When the meeting broke up, April pulled Kristen down to the beach. From the darkness of the shore, they gazed up at the flickering orange light from the torch.
    â€œI want to check out the cave—right now,” April said. “It’s driving me crazy not knowing what is going on. What is real and what is fake.”
    Kristen bent to pick up a big horseshoe crab shell. “Are you crazy? We can’t go now, April. It’s pitch black out tonight. No moon or anything. We won’t be able to see a thing.”
    April tugged off her sneakers.