Everland Read Online Free Page A

“Now!” I shout.
    “If we leave, we will all die. But there is one person, one child, who can save us all.”
    Rage due to her months of lying boils over, and I shout, “Who? Who is it?”
    Her eyes search mine and reluctance gives way. “Immunity lies in a single girl, the only one who was vaccinated for the virus.”
    “A girl? And you can’t create a cure without her?” I ask, releasing the Professor.
    She straightens her lab coat. Her eyes meet mine and the fear is gone. She takes a breath before she speaks.
    “I’ve tried. Without her, we’re all as good as dead.”

I gently set Mikey down and slip my rucksack off my shoulders. Despite the chill of the early morning air, beads of sweat trickle down my face. I wipe them away with the back of my hand, trying to hide the mounting alarm racing through me.
    “What are we going to do?” Mikey says. He rubs his nose on the sleeve of his threadbare blue pajamas.
    “Don’t worry. We’re going to go find her,” I say, hearing the apprehension in my voice.
    “How?” Mikey asks. “There must be a bazillion pirates out there.”
    “I don’t know. We’ll figure it out,” I say, attempting to reassure him. Frantically, I untie the top of my rucksack and empty its contents onto the floor to make room for only the essential supplies. Mikey pushes the umbrella aside and picks up the dusty old teddy bear, snuggling it to his chest.
    “Can I keep it?” he asks, his eyes still red and swollen.
    I consider telling him to leave it behind, that we can only afford to carry necessary supplies. But looking into his tear-streaked face and the single button eye on the bear, I don’t have the heart to deny him this simple luxury. I nod and continue to fill my rucksack with the supplies from the shelf. As I lift a small sack of rice, a family of cockroaches scurries for cover. I brush away one that clings to the bag. In spite of the bugs, my mouth waters over our meager amount of food, but I push away my overwhelming desire to eat. This food is for Joanna and Mikey. I can live on less, have lived on less.
    As if on cue, my stomach gives an audible growl while I’m putting a tin of tuna into my bag, reminding me that it’s been days since my last meal. There is no time to worry about the small discomfort of hunger, though. The Marauders could be back at any time and the coal-black night is beginning to fade as the first hint of dawn paints the horizon. Giant clouds in the distance warn of an impending storm.
    Mikey tugs my sleeve with a trembling hand. “Gwen, I don’t want to go out there. What if they catch us? They’ll feed us to the crocodiles!”
    I pull him into my arms and hug him tight. “They won’t get us, I promise. I’ll keep you safe. And there are no crocodiles running around Everland. That is just a silly tale.”
    Something stirs to my left, sending a renewed dose of hot adrenaline coursing through my veins.
    “Hide,” I whisper to Mikey, shoving him aside. He runs and fades into the dark shadows on the other side of the room. Snatching my dagger, I whirl toward the noise. In the window, a person sits with his back against the metal frame. The small amount of moonlight still left in the early morning lights up his silhouette, casting his long shadow on the concrete floor. It stretches toward me and falls on my leather boots. I aim my blade at him.
    “Who are you?” I demand.
    The boy, not much older than me, seventeen at the most, steps close enough that I can make out his sharp facial features. His lips turn up in a cocky grin, and I immediately recognize him.
    “It’s you,” I say with surprise. “You’re the boy the Marauders were chasing.”
    He gives a dramatic bow. “In the flesh.”
    Noticing that I have let my blade drop, I point it back at him.
    “Well, that’s no way to treat a guest in your home,” the boy says, lifting his aviator goggles from his face and perching them atop his head. He surveys our cramped home, wrinkling his