Read In the Lone and Level Sands for Free Online

her
daughter off, but Richelle had bitten deep into her muscle tissue.
Evan reached for his cell phone while Eugene got behind Richelle,
grabbed her, and pulled. Finally he managed to pry her off, and
then he restrained her arms. Blood dribbled down her chin and was
smeared all over the bottom half of her face.
    “I know this sounds crazy,” Evan said into
his phone, “but a girl bit her mother. She’s bleeding really bad.
We need an ambulance.” He nodded, looking at Eugene as he struggled
to hold Richelle. “Yes, the Belmont Theater. We’re in the girl’s
restroom just to the left of the front. Okay. Hurry, please!”
    Amanda pumped the lever on the paper towel
box, grabbing half of its contents to wrap around the tear in her
arm.
    The door to the bathroom swung open so hard
it hit the wall. A man in his mid-to-late-twenties with a buzz cut
entered; there was a hint of blood on his WWE T-shirt. Behind him
was a rather plain woman with long, styled-down brown hair.
    “What the fuck is going on out there?” the
plain woman said.
    “This isn’t happening,” the man in the WWE
shirt said He leaned against the door, part holding it shut and
part catching his breath. “This can’t be happening!”
    “We’re getting help,” Evan said.
    Soon someone tried to push the door open,
and the man in the WWE shirt moved to let two paramedics into the
bathroom. One was a woman with blonde hair pulled back in a
ponytail, and the other a tall man with brown, gelled hair and a
bite on his arm.
    Mal was on the floor with her mother,
crying, scared. The others were scattered around the bathroom.
    “It’ll be okay,” Cynthia said. “It’ll all be
all right. Richelle will be fine, everything will be fine.”
    “Don’t worry, we’re trained professionals.
This is Ryan, I’m Stephanie. We’re EMTs. Things are going to be
just fine, as long as we all remain calm.”
    Mal shifted from Cynthia to Evan. He hugged
her tightly, but it did little to quell her tears. Evan felt like
breaking down, but he had to stay strong for Mal.
    “We need to get the girl out of here!”
Stephanie said.
    Before they could figure out how, a crackly
voice broke into the room, coming from a radio holstered to
Stephanie’s belt.
    “All EMTs, please be advised, do not, I
repeat, do not approach anyone acting strangely or anyone
who has been bitten. We’ve just received confirmation that the
current phenomenon is transmitted through bite; repeat: Do not
approach anyone who has been bitten! Do not allow yourself to be
bitten!”
    The already-confused people in the bathroom
exchanged glances. Amanda and Mal continued to cry.
    “Sir, let me handle her, you need to back
away,” Ryan said to Eugene.
    “No!” Eugene said. “She’s my little g-girl!
She’s no monster, there m-must be a way to fix this!”
    “Sir, please maintain a safe distance,”
Stephanie said. “No one is saying she’s a monster. Don’t worry,
Ryan will take care of her.” Ryan nodded.
    Eugene tried to shift Richelle over to Ryan,
but Ryan’s arms dropped and he stood still. Richelle dove for
Amanda, but she hopped back and Richelle hit her head on a sink and
fell to the ground, where she lay still.
    “Ryan?” Stephanie said. Ryan groaned and
grabbed for Eugene, who tripped backward and fell. The man in the
WWE shirt stepped forward and shoved Ryan before he could pounce on
Eugene.
    “I think we need to leave,” Evan said.
    “N-no!” Eugene said. Amanda grunted and
reached for Mal, teeth bared. Cynthia pulled Mal away, toward the
door. Evan shoved Amanda while Cynthia ushered Mal into the
hall.
    “The ambulance is just outside, we’ll
regroup there,” Stephanie said. “Go!”
    Everyone filed out of the bathroom. Eugene
began making high-pitched sucking noises as the man in the WWE
shirt lifted him up and hurried him along after them.
    “That sounds like asthma,” Stephanie said.
Eugene nodded, then struggled weakly to get out of Jason’s grasp.
Stephanie