Chapter 1 The sky is black, the streets are full of cries, and my clothes are drenched with either rain or blood. Maybe both. I’ve broken a rule and the consequences could be disastrous. Rule #1—Never go out after dark. The sky is thick with smoke that rises from the fires constantly burning within the city walls. The broken buildings, lost in the dirt of disease, tower the sides of the debris-covered roads. Abandoned cars thick with rust and fragmented glass wedge the streets. I leap over the hood of one and swing a sharp right, dipping down into the underground tunnels, away from the dead city, away from them. But a hand grabs the collar of my shirt and I’m yanked backward. My weapon slips from my fingers and clanks to the ground. Another rule broken. Rule #2—Always carry a weapon. The monster snarls, fangs gleaming, drool dripping from its rotting lips. I squirm from its grip and dodge to the right, but another one appears, just as hungry. I’m cornered. I press my back against the concrete walls soaked with filthy water, which seeps deep into my clothes. This is the closest I’ve ever been to one. My amazing speed and quickness makes it hard for them to catch me. Tonight, I’m off though. Tonight, I’m worried about Maci.