Read The Rat Collector: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 1) for Free Online

“We’ll be right there!” He climbed down and helped Saul to his feet. “Looks like I win again.”
    “One of these days you’ll be the one lying on the ground.”
    “Right, Saul. You keep saying that.”
    “I say it because it’s true. You’ll see. One of these days.”
    They walked towards Vince’s house, playfully pushing each other along the way. When they reached the top of the hill, Saul turned to look back at the woods. His eyes swept across the forest, a place where he and Vince could relax and have fun after school. In a shadowy crevice beneath a tree, a man stood, staring at them. He was tall and slender and wore a fitted black suit. Saul glanced at Vince, and then back to the woods, but the man was gone.
    “Did you see that?” Saul yelled over to Vince, who was already making his way down the other side of the hill.
    Vince turned around. “See what?”
    “There was a man in the woods…just staring at us. And then he vanished. Come on, let’s go check it out.” He stepped back towards the woods.
    “Saul, wait! My mother is waiting for us. We can’t just leave her.”
    “Don’t you want to know who is watching us?”
    “We can check it out tomorrow, but right now we need to go home.”
    Saul swept his eyes across the woods once more.
    “Come on Saul, my mother is going to get upset.”
    “Fine, let’s go. I’m starving anyway.”
    When they got to Vince’s house, his mother was waiting for them at the door. “Come on, boys. Clean up and set the table.” They did as she said.
    With the table set, they sat down and joined Vince’s parents. His father placed a big bowl of stew in front of them. “Eat up. You boys must be hungry after all of that messing around.”
    Vince inhaled the scent of slow-cooked beef rising up from the bowl. His stomach grumbled and his mouth filled with saliva. He grabbed his spoon and dug into the food. Saul did the same.
    “Easy there,” his father said. “Eat like that and you’ll choke on your food.”
    “Leave them alone,” his mother said. “They’re growing boys. They need to fatten up.”
    “Don’t get too fat. You’re getting older, son. Soon you’ll be helping me out a lot more with the shop. I’ll take you out hunting, but you have to be in shape to keep up with me out there.”
    Vince slowed his eating when his father mentioned hunting. It was something he had wanted to do for a long time. Go out to the woods and bring in the meat. Contribute to the family business. His father was right. He should stay in shape. He put down his spoon, leaving his bowl half full.
    “Don’t listen to your father. He’ll take you out hunting no matter what. He’s just being a grouch.”
    He shrugged and laughed. “Well, someone has to be grouchy around here. Everyone’s always so cheery.”
    Vince looked at his mother, then at his father, and started shoveling the second half of the food into his mouth.
    After dinner, the boys helped clean the dishes and then Saul left for home. Vince was exhausted as he got ready for bed. He lay down and placed his head on the soft pillow, quickly shutting his eyes and entering a deep slumber.
    *****
    A soft tapping noise woke Vince up. He looked around and saw Saul standing outside the window. He got out of bed and cracked the window open. “Saul, what are you doing here?”
    “I can’t sleep.”
    “So you came here?”
    “Yeah. I’m going to find that man in the woods.”
    “Can’t it wait until morning?”
    Saul shook his head. “We have school in the morning. He’ll be long gone by the time we get out of school. We’re both awake right now, so let’s just go.”
    “I’m awake because you woke me up,” Vince muttered. “Why do you need me anyway? Go on your own.”
    “I want someone with me, in case something happens. I promise we’ll be back before sunrise. Your parents won’t even know you were gone.”
    Vince looked into his eyes and saw he was determined to find this man. He would go whether