Planet X Read Online Free

lightning lit up outside; sending rays of light in
through the cracks in the window boards.
    “They’ll
hold.” Jessica said, “They’ll hold…”
    Swaying back
and forth with her frail mother in her embrace, Jessica glanced at
the boarded-up windows; unable to see what kind of horror was
lurking just outside. She could hear the ferocity of the storm and
hoped to God the tightly stacked sandbags would withstand the
rising waters. She packed them just as the Youtube video explained
and her hunky gym-instructor neighbour helped her, but she was just
as worried as her mother.
    The sandbag
barrier, however, didn’t hold…

CHAPTER
SEVEN
    The skipper
stood at the helm in nothing but his boxer-shorts with his wet
shirt tied around his shoulders in hopes of cooling himself off a
bit, but it was basically futile. Sam came up the narrow cabin
stairway with two glasses of ice water and joined Stephen in the
small bridge of the cabin cruiser. He stared at the city street
that was now a canal and handed Stephen one of the glasses as he
took a sip of refreshingly cool water.
    “Thank you.”
Stephen said, “Where’s Jessica?”
    “She’s asleep
downstairs in the berth.”
    Stephen nodded
and steered the cabin cruiser through the few obstacles still
peeking out of the rising water.
    “We were over
a hundred miles from the actual shoreline.” Stephen said, “Who
would’ve thought the sea levels would rise again?”
    “You know; we
could’ve tried to help those people.”
    “Don’t
start…”
    “There’s
enough space on this boat.” Sam insisted, “There are six bunk-beds
downstairs. It might’ve been cramped, but—”
    “But nothing.
Do you actually think they would’ve picked us up if the tables were
turned?”
    “Yes I
do.”
    “You’re sadly
mistaken.” Stephen said, “I know from experience people don’t just
help strangers.”
    “You helped
me…”
    “That’s
different.”
    “How?” Sam
insisted.
    “It just is.
Can we just drop this? What’s done is done.”
    Sam nodded in
silence, but wondered how someone so caring could turn so cold so
quickly. If mankind was to survive, they needed to stick together –
not leave one another to die at the mercy of Mother Nature.
    “What the—”
Stephen said; staring off into the distance.
    Sam looked up
and spotted an obstruction further on up the watery road what
looked like a beaver dam wall constructed from wood, rubble and
traffic signs. It wasn’t clear whether it was the product of
flooding or whether it was manmade so they approached with
caution.
    “What do you
think it is?” Sam asked as the boat slowed down.
    Stephen
glanced back over his shoulder at the lengthy city block behind
them; it would cost valuable time turning around and going back –
time he wasn’t sure whether they had to spare. They had to continue
– through or over the blockade.
    “I don’t know,
but I don’t like it.” Stephen uttered.
    The boat came
to a complete halt a few feet away from the barricade and the two
of them stared at it from behind the bridge window; scrutinizing it
to figure out what it was and what to do next. The world around
them was quiet – too quiet. Even in an apocalyptic world you’d hear
something other than the tranquil waters splashing against the boat
with subsiding ripples.
    Stephen
switched off the engine and stepped out from behind the bridge to
get a better look. The rubble were stacked tightly together almost
as if forced into place – begging the question; ‘ who built
it and why?’
    Jessica came
up the cabin stairway; asking, “Why did we stop?”
    Sam gestured
for her to stay back and she stopped halfway up the stairs; staring
at him – waiting for answers, but the two men stared out in silence
at the object that stood between then and safety.
    “Stay hidden.”
Sam cautioned.
    “Why? What’s
going on?” Jessica whispered.
    “We’re not
sure, but it looks like trouble.”
    A loud splash
next to the boat made Sam turn