Page 105 of This Blood That Binds Us

“You think it would have electricity or guards or something.” Presley scoffed.

“Well, I doubt they accounted for the undead scaling the twenty-foot fence.” I walked up and placed my hand on the bars. Barbed wire lined the top.

“Let’s go. I’ve wasted enough time.”

I imagined a clock slowly ticking. Kim was out there somewhere. I knew the longer it took me to find her, the worse things would be. As I pulled myself over the barbed wire, pain stung. I knew there would be no blood or cuts. With each moment, I was stronger. I turned to look at the park behind me. In the darkness, the gloom faded, or at least I hoped it would. I pushed my feet away from the fence and thrust myself to the ground. I didn’t land gracefully, and neither did Presley.

“Oh, hell.” Presley cried in pain, and he grabbed his ankle before falling over me.

I grabbed him and stumbled to pull us to our feet. My body still ached, but I wanted to hurry.

“Come on, I think the parking lot is to the right.”

We jogged through the trees with a new determination. It wasn’t long before the gleam of street lights revealed the hoods of cars. Cars littered the parking lot, but it was sparse on the edges. I searched the empty lot for any sign of movement. A couple leaned against an old, red Trail Blazer. They turned with annoyance, and their red eyes seared into ours. Their skin was sunken in, and their thin arms grabbed at each other.

“Uh. Have you guys seen a red-headed girl come by here?” I smoothed my head down in my best attempt to look like a normal college kid.

“If we did, I wouldn’t tell you, kid.” The male snarled, showing the gaps in his teeth.

I turned to Presley with an unamused expression. “So, I’m going to take that as a no.”

“How much money do you got?” The slender woman stretched out her hand.

“Yeah, that’s a no.” Presley sighed.

“Okay.” I pushed past them, looking out into the empty parking lot.

The moon was high in the sky, casting a blanket of light on top of the car hoods. I had no idea what time it was, but judging by the lack of people, it was late.

I sighed. “There isn’t anyone out here.”

“What if we went by the front gate? There has to be a security guard or something. Come on.” Presley hit my shoulder, and we jogged toward the ticket booth.

As we got closer, none of it felt familiar. I didn’t remember the signs, the colors, the smells. Nothing. How much did I miss? What else had I done that I didn’t remember?

“Hey, there’s someone over here.”

I followed the sound of Presley’s voice to an alleyway located in the back of the entrance.

A security guard with a thick gray mustache and olive skin was tucked into a small room. He didn’t appear to be paying the slightest bit of attention. His eyes were glazed over, watching the surveillance monitors. Deep dark circles added to his hollow, sickly appearance.

I caught up to Presley, and we ran up to his window. “Hey! Hey!”

The man slowly turned his head to face us.

“Have you seen a red-headed girl come through here? Or maybe she’s on one of the cameras? She’s my friend, and I...I lost her in the forest.”

“We have reason to believe something bad has happened to her,” Presley said.

“What is your name?” The security guard’s voice was cold. His words came out slowly.

“I’m Aaron.”

Our eyes locked onto each other, and my heart sank.

His face was void of expression.

He moved his hand across the desk to hand me a business card. “Here you go.”