I Dream of Zombies (Book 2): Haven (39 page)

The sheer immensity of this
place awed her. It was as if she could feel the figures of the past walking by, reaching out to touch her with the gentlest of touches. They regarded her, waiting, she sensed. The echo of the Bluestones drew her in, their melody drowning out the song of the dead.

With a sigh, she wandered
into the centre of Stonehenge and turned slowly, staring up at the mighty rock that gleamed in the moonlight.
Almost hypnotic… almost.
Night had come and now the roar of the dead rose like a tidal wave, surrounding her on all sides. They would devour her, piece by piece. Fear rang in her ears and tears began to slide down her face, but at least she would never be one of them; never have to wander the Earth with them, haunted by that insatiable hunger.

The seconds passed like minutes, minutes like hours
, as Ellen watched them. They created a circle beyond the ring of stones, ever closing in. Once she could make out their deformed and bloody faces, she closed her eyes and willed herself to remain calm, to dislocate her mind from her body; disconnect from everything until she was like water trickling, at one with the elements.

“Ellen?”

The voice filtered through her mind like a hazy, distant call and yet it spoke right against her ear. She felt the warm breath. Opening her eyes, she took a step back, stretching out her hands to feel the stone; her rock in this mystical place soon to be spilled with her own blood. The memories of the ages began to hum and she could feel them all at once: the voices, the people; the ones who erected the stones. It jarred with her own reality as she once again took in the roving ring of the dead. They stood but feet away, their eyes glazed; the red-strewn whiteness turned towards her, bereft of expression or any semblance to humanity. So close she could see through their ripped skin and torn muscle to the bone beneath.

“Ellen, do you know me?”

The voice spoke calmly amid a low, tuneful melody.

Ellen
forced herself to look at his face, to enter his eyes, so black, like inky pools, and so ancient. Her palms slipped away from the Bluestone. There was no reason to touch it anymore. She could feel it. Its resonance penetrated her entire body, ringing as strongly as it had thousands of years ago. The past vibrated all around her and everything ceased.

No longer could
she hear the wail of the dead; no longer did they walk. Her breath grew chill in her mouth as if her heart had stopped; its final beat complete. He was waiting. It all waited, even the dark. Staring into his eyes, she knew the reflection of herself in the centre and she nodded slowly, feeling all sensation drain away.

He stared back at her
, through her, opening her mind. It was as if he stepped inside.

“I know you,” she answered,
trembling as she forced herself to hold his gaze. “You’re the one who warned me in my dream.”

The End

To be continued in book 3

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About the author

Vickie Johnstone is the author of 15 books. She lives in London, UK, where she works as a layout sub editor on magazines. Some day she hopes to live by the sea with some cute fluffy cats and a lifetime supply of Milky Bar chocolate. One of her children’s books,
Kiwi and the Serpent of the Isle
, was a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards 2013.
I Dream of Zombies
was a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards 2014.

Books by the author

3 Heads & a Tail

The Sea Inside
(Cerulean Songs, book 1)

I Dream of Zombies (book 1)

Haven (I Dream of Zombies, book 2)

The Kiwi Series

Kiwi in Cat City (book 1)

Kiwi and the Missing Magic (book 2)

Kiwi and the Living Nightmare (book 3)

Kiwi and the Serpent of the Isle (book 4)

Kiwi in the Realm of Ra (book 5)

Kiwi’s Christmas Tail (book 6)