Read The Dawn of the Lost: Prequel to The Lost and the Wicked for Free Online

the very same thing. I know what she’s thinking. There’s no way we’ll be able to outrun that thing. There are too many vehicles littered across the street to make a clean getaway.
    “We’re dead!” cries Lana.
    “Shut up!” yells Gia. She has a determined look in her eyes, the same one I’ve seen when she gets serious in her little league soccer matches. She turns the car sharply, leading it onto a ramp that spills onto the hallway.
    My heart drops to my stomach, where it stays. I can only imagine that the freeway is going to be filled with cars, making it impossible to maneuver.
    To my surprise, however, the two lanes to the left of the four-lane highway are completely empty. The two other lanes are stacked with cars, almost as if something has blown them against each other.
    “Reeeeeeek!”
    Ignoring my pain, I look to the back window. The creature emerges from the ramp. Its cold eyes lock on our small car.
    “Go!” I shout.
    Gia presses on the gas. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
    The creature takes off after the car. It looks to have been damaged during the crash. One leg drags behind it uselessly, causing it to run considerably slower than before. In less than a minute, the creature becomes a speck in the distance.
    Breathing a sigh of relief, I turn to my sister. “Take us to Westchester.”
    “Westchester? For what?”
    “I’m going to meet someone there.” At least I hope I am. After what I just saw, it would be nothing short of a miracle if Summer survived. But if anyone can do it, I know it’s her.
    ~~~
    “Andrew!” calls Gia from inside the car. “We have to go.”
    “Just a few more minutes,” I answer, knowing full well that it probably won’t matter. I’m right here, standing in the middle of the street by the Westchester city limit sign as Summer and I had agreed. Instead of the usual skyscrapers I’ve grown accustomed to, tall pine trees on both sides of the road flank me. Being this close to nature in the dark puts me on edge. I feel like I’m in some type of horror movie. A movie where the psycho, axe-wielding killer will run out from between the trees at any moment. Except in this case, a murderous robot has replaced the axe killer.
    “C’mon,” insists Gia. “We have to get out of the city and toward grandpa’s farm in Bakersfield.” Her voice becomes a hushed whisper. “If dad and mom survived, they would have headed that way.”
    The time on my phone now reads 11:27 P.M. She should have been here hours ago. I remain silent, knowing full well Gia’s right. The realization that Summer did not survive washes over me in a wave of pain. Disappointed, I turn, limping to the car. As I open the door a loud roar breaks the silence.
    My first instinct is to panic. My thoughts race back to the raptor creature. However, as the roars continue, I realize that it’s a different kind of noise. This sounds more like a motorcycle.
    A faint light breaks through the fog. It grows in size, revealing a black Harley Davidson behind it. It’s a big bike, with shades of gray and blue. The rider stops the bike short of the car and takes off the dark helmet.
    I smile inwardly as me and Summer’s eyes meet. She looks tired, but in one piece.
    “You made it,” she says, sounding surprised. Her jacket and pants are dripping with some strange white liquid. She turns toward Gia, who is now sitting in the passenger seat and then looks back at me. “Now get in your car and let’s move.”
    “Shouldn’t we make some sort of plan first?”
    “No time,” says Summer, slipping the helmet back on. “We’re going to have company soon.” The bike’s engine roars to life. “We’ll find a place to stop soon and discuss plans when it’s safe. For now, just follow me. I know this area very well.”
    I’m about to retort when I hear a strange sound emanating in the distance. It sounds like thousands of people choking all at once. Then, hazed by the darkness, I see the pale image of