SuzieI've never been so mad in my life. Dad gave my bedroom to some strange lady and her family. Yeah, I have a queen sized bed, and Casey only has a twin, but what the heck, Dad? As if giving up my room wasn't enough, Dad instructed me to clean up and prepare his mattress while he washed Mom.Mom... I closed my eyes tight, pushing the fear away. Dad seems to think there's some miracle cure for whatever this is, but I saw a sickness like this on some television show Grant talked me into watching. It wasn't exactly the same, but the people all died and came back to life as zombies. So, in my head, the odds weren't exactly in our favor.Speaking of Grant, he was finally inside my house, but under the circumstances, it really sucked.When I was in fifth grade, boys made fun of me because my ex-BFF told everyone I got my period like it was totally logical to spread the news. I was the first girl in fifth grade to get her period.The day the boys first called me Bloodstai

Once I hit the foyer, I went straight to the kitchen, glancing around for a weapon of any kind. My thoughts were reeling out of control and I couldn't seem to figure out what I was looking for.It didn't help that Mrs. Cunningham was still screaming bloody murder. The entire neighborhood was probably thinking someone was actually being killed, and they'd be right.Get it together. Come on. What was I looking for?Just as I remembered the best knives were in the dishwasher, Derek ran past me, ripping open drawers, stopping at the cooking utensils. Spatulas and tongs clattered to the floor as he riffled through them."Where're the damn knives?" Thomas opened the drawer full of eating utensils and pulled out a steak knife."Here." I yanked open the dishwasher door and pulled out the lower rack to grab our largest knife. I'd just used it last night to cut veggies for Mom.I held an agonizing sob back as the awful ache cut through my heart. Mom and I had been laughing i

Suzie   Casey's screams ripped a hole through my heart as I watched Dad open her ugly bite marks while Derek filled them with alcohol.This was all too much. Mom. Grant. Casey. The sickening scene that played out in my room.As Casey let out another scream, I covered my ears. I couldn't listen anymore. What if she was going through all this just to die?My shoulder hit Thomas as I backed up. His eyes were wide with terror, but when they landed on mine, Thomas gave me a tight grin before he whispered, "Go on. I won't tell anybody."I nodded, trying to hold back my never ending tears. I couldn't help but feel the ball of guilt building inside. She didn't deserve this. Casey was the good one. She did everything right. I'd always been a little envious of how easy everything came to her, but that didn't mean I could stand by and watch her be willingly tortured.Another scream bounced off the bathroom walls.Wand

(Three days later)My prison guards made me stay in bed for three days and my room had become my prison, which didn't really matter because I wasn't talking to anyone, anyway.A baby was crying somewhere on the other side of the house, but they never brought her in, and I never cared enough to ask about her.Once I found out my parents were dead, my entire world had dissolved into nothingness.I couldn't help but wonder why I was still alive. In a perfect world, I'd be dead too. Then we would all be together in heaven or wherever it is, we go after we die. Did it matter where they were now? All that mattered was that I was here, and they were there.The bite on my arm was still a solid red scab, and it still hurt. It was probably because of the deep tissue damage, but it was healing, and that's all that mattered."It stinks in here." Suzie's nose wrinkled as she opened

"Don't come in any further." Derek stopped Matt from walking past the foyer.Matt was covered in blood, and the blood was barely old enough to be dry. He looked like he'd escaped a war zone.Matt glanced at Thomas. "Is she here?""Matt, I'm okay." I walked into view."Oh my God, Casey. You're alive." Matt released a sob as he reached for me.Both Derek and Thomas moved in front of Matt, blocking me from his view."Dude, no touching! Have you seen yourself?" Derek's bark sounded like he was about to kill Matt. "Better yet, you've seen she's alive. Now, get out!""Derek," I didn't want to step on his toes, but I couldn't just send Matt out there to die. I'd already done that once, and I couldn't do it again.Thomas glanced at me before he jutted his chin toward Matt. "Say what you got to say, Sweetheart. I'm sorry to tell you this, but he has to go."What did that mean? Matt was a cheating jerkface, but he didn't deserve to die for it."No. He doesn't hav