Kira Part II: Horizon: Kira, #2

By Ross Harrison

Since their town sank into the desert, taking their people with it, Kira has acquired a new responsibility: protecting a teenage boy. Their only option is to head for the ruined city on the horizon and hope the many dangers of the desert don't kill them before they reach it. But they soon find that the dangers outside the city do not compare to those within. 

A wild, untrustworthy inhabitant may be their only chance of getting back out of the city alive. But only if Kira is willing to sacrifice just a little more of her humanity.

(Short Story)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shadow Archer Publishing
• Release date: Dec 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781516392537

Ross Harrison

Ross Harrison is the author of novels and short stories in the realms of science fiction - specifically space opera and science fantasy - thriller, noir, and steampunk. He has been writing since childhood, and occasionally likes to revisit those old stories for a good cringe and nervous laugh. He also talks about himself in the 3rd person because it seems more professional. Ross lives on the UK/Eire border in Ireland, where he moved from England in 2001, hoping the rain will help his hair grow back.

Book preview

Pissers!

Kira shifted her weight against the door. Her muscles burnt, and she didn’t know how much longer she could hold it shut against the snarling beasts.

‘‘urry the ‘ell up!’ she shouted at the ceiling.

The reply was muffled.

One of the beasts threw itself at the door. Then again. Either it was too tough to be hurt by the violent action or too frenzied to notice the pain.

‘Any time now. No rush or anythin’.’

A second animal joined the concentrated effort to get in at their food. Every crash knocked the door open a little bit more. If one jammed its head in the gap next time, her weight wouldn’t be enough to get it shut again.

Kira’s heart thumped almost as violently against the door through her back. It didn’t help that they’d had to sprint to this rundown service station when the beasts spotted them. Under that sun, even those two minutes had sapped her strength.

A grinding and scraping on the roof preceded a heavy thump outside and a short yelp. The crashing stopped, replaced now by the weird, gulping bark of the beasts.

More grinding and scraping above, another heavy thump, but this time the resulting yelps were cut short.

Kira tried to listen for movement, but she could barely hear over her heartbeat and breathing.

A firm, steady knock on the door startled her. Then relief flooded her exhausted muscles. She pulled the door open.

‘Hurry, hell, anything,’ Flip said.

They boy stood between the corpses of two of the beasts, a bloody length of brass pipe in his hand. One was crushed under a large brick, and Flip had finished off another while it was pinned by his second brick. The third and final animal had cut its losses and retreated towards the horizon.

‘Looks like we can finally eat,’ Kira said.

‘I’ll keep watch.’ Flip grinned and snapped his magnifying goggles down from his scruffy blonde hair. The bulbous eyes flicked to the top of Kira’s dusty corset. She slapped his head.

Admittedly, there were a number of more important topics of conversation while crossing the desert, but the first thing Kira had brought up were rules. Rule One: ‘No starin’, peekin’, leerin’, peerin’ or otherwise givin’ prolonged attention to Kira’s chest area’. Breaking this rule would result in a slap to the head.

Although she was certainly no stranger to being interested in someone unattainable and stealing glances at them, she thought it about time that the boy—eight years younger than her—stopped this irritating practice.

Flip returned to the back room, where he’d scrambled through a hole in the roof the first time, leaving Kira to skin and cook the beasts.

*

They sat on the roof, quietly chewing the barely-edible meat.

This roof had once been the floor of the first storey, and remnants of the walls provided them with some cover from prying eyes. Not that there were many of those in the middle of the desert.

On the horizon to the east sat the ruined city they’d been headed towards for the last six days. After the Government had destroyed their home town, and everyone in it, that city had been their only real choice.

Kira had half-expected them to die before they made it halfway. Thankfully, though, they’d found shelter in a number of small buildings like this one, invisible from their town.

‘Should only be another day,’ Flip said, staring at the city. ‘Probably get there about nightfall tomorrow.’

Kira shook her head. ‘Ain’t a good idea, arriving at night. I think we’d better start walkin’ as soon as the sun goes down. Get there about midday.’

Flip exaggerated his groan. ‘We’ve been walkin’ all day. I’m tired!’

‘Really? ‘Cause after walking six days across the desert, I’m still full of beans.’ They both rolled their eyes at each other. ‘We don’t know who or what might be in that city. It’s safer to arrive with light to see by.’

‘Fine.’ Flip looked towards the sun. ‘We’ve got about an hour to sleep then.’

He climbed back through the hole to the ground floor. They’d jammed the door closed with the large bricks, so if the escaped beast returned, it would be as