Rebel Heart

By Hannah Elise

Piper Crell has had a hard start on her life. Both her parents died, the safe house is falling apart, and most of all, God seems far away. No matter what she seems to do, something bad greets her around every corner. But just recently, they've been getting more attacks against the safe house. Cravers, they call them. Insane humans who've been infected by this virus spreading across the whole United States and some parts of the outside world. But Piper isn't afraid of death. If she dies, so what? But her friends drag her on some crazy journey to start their very own safe house. A Christian safe house, that is. Since the other one kicked out Christianity altogether, Piper and her friends take on the Cravers and go on their way. But it doesn't go as planned. They run into many obstacles along the way. Way more than expected. They gain some friends and lose some. Will Piper and her friends all survive? Will someone try and stop them?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781646704620

Book preview

9781646704620_cover.jpg

Rebel

Heart

Hannah Elise

ISBN 978-1-64670-461-3 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64670-462-0 (Digital)

Copyright © 2020 Hannah Elise

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books, Inc.

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Table of Contents

Prologue

Stranded

Let Down

Flood

Gang Up

Escape

Meet Melody

Lost

Surprise!

Puzzles

Newsflash

Newcomers

Danger

Test Subject

Out Cold

Dreams

The Cure

The Truth

Trouble

Death Sentence

Taken

Right Track

Double-Crossed

Past

Tick-Tock

Stop and Go

Tension

Last Step

Turn of Events

Reunited

Get Out

Final Stand

About the Author

Dedication

I would like to thank the Bethel youth group for sticking by my side for this whole journey. I love you all and hope to know you for a long time to come. I would like to also thank my family and friends for supporting me and encouraging me to keep on going, even when it seemed hopeless. Thank you.

And last but never least, I would love to thank God for allowing my dream to come true. I could’ve never done this without You. Love you and thank you. And all who are reading this, thanks for giving me a chance. I hope when you finish this, you’ll have a Rebel Heart for the Lord your God.

Cheerio!

The Blood on my Hands is no Match against the Power of His Mercy.

—Piper Crell

Prologue

She didn’t know how it happened. One minute, the world was in complete order, and the next minute everything was chaotic. All because of her. She huddled in the corner of her abandoned house. She didn’t know if she should regret her decision or feel pride. This is what she wanted. Why wasn’t she happy? Her father was long gone. Probably running around scared someplace. And her mother…dead. She didn’t even want to think about her sister. She was the one who was always getting in her way. The only problem: she wasn’t in control the way she hoped. Yes, she was extremely young to know this kind of intelligence. And, also, yes, she might’ve accidentally killed her mom. But in the nicest way possible. If that could happen.

A horrifying shriek erupted just outside her door, causing her to whimper. Fortunately, it grew fainter a few minutes later. She sighed. For her age, she was superbrave. So she wasn’t really fazed by the loud shriek. But what did get to her was what was behind the shriek. It wasn’t a human. Though it used to be one. Neither was it a zombie. They were much worse. They didn’t look too gross though. They did look human. Most of them did, at least. But more than once did she mistake them as her fellow sane humans. Boy, did she learn her lesson after that. She had the scars to prove it too.

She was safely locked away in her house at the moment. Alone. Hopefully long enough for her to learn the ways of these…things. She should already know. That’s what she was most mad about herself. She created them. She should know how they acted. How they thought. She sighed once again. She would live long enough to figure this out. She had too.

Suddenly, a window in the kitchen shattered. She froze. Any sudden movements, and she was surely dead. What an idiot she was not to board up the windows. She relaxed slightly when she heard faint sobbing sounds. And she knew the inhumans—that’s a good name for them—didn’t cry. She crawled as silently as she could toward the doorway to the kitchen. What she saw wasn’t scary at all.

She saw a young boy, probably a little older than her, sprawled across the floor, crying into his hands. That hit a soft spot. Which surprised her since she never really cared about anyone.

Psst. She made sure her voice was just a whisper.

The boy must’ve heard her because he immediately stopped crying and looked up. Hello? His voice made her flinch.

Couldn’t he be a little considerate of their lives? She wouldn’t be surprised if the things outside heard them and came in for lunch. She shuddered. Hey. Can you be a little quieter please? Our lives are at stake! Her voice rose at the last part.

The boy’s eyes widened in hope, and he frantically crawled toward her. Thank the Lord! I thought I was the only survivor!

Trust me, there’s many more. But she wasn’t so sure. He was the only normal human she’s seen in at least two weeks. She slowly got to her feet and motioned him to follow.

Where are we—

Shut up. Just follow. She tiptoed down a dark hallway until she got to a door broken off its hinges. She stepped onto the first step, swallowing first before getting enveloped into the darkness. But before she could get any farther, the boy grabbed her arm. How…how do I know if I should trust you?

You don’t, she said in a hushed tone. You want to live, don’t you?

He nodded.

Good. Again, follow me. She continued down the steps, getting lost in the darkness below.

1

Stranded

Three years later

Throw a coin down there.

No, they’ll hear it.

How do you know they’re still down there?

Have you heard all the groaning?

Just check on Stephanie and the kids, will you? Gabriel snickered and carefully headed toward the kids huddling in the corner. Stephanie hushed anyone who made a noise over a whisper.

But Piper Crell stood as still as a statue, waiting for anything to climb up the long dark shaft. Six hours have passed since any action occurred. But she still had both her pistols pointed right down the hole. She remembered them flooding. They never stopped coming. The adults went away to slow it down. But they never came back. Piper knew they were all dead. The children were all parentless now. Including her. At least she had Gabe and Stephanie. It was her job to take care of them now. At seventeen and the older sister, Piper would keep them safe. All of them. Stephanie was only thirteen. She had a whole life ahead of her.

This world had been falling apart for three years now. Stephanie was ten when it all started, clueless to what was going on. Piper couldn’t imagine what had been going through her head at the time. Gabe knew what was going on from the very beginning. At least he claimed to know. He said he started it but she didn’t believe him. How could a thirteen-year-old start an apocalypse? Now Gabe was sixteen and he still didn’t give up on the fact that he started it, even though he couldn’t give any real reason how he did.

Piper jumped when she heard a scream rise up from the shaft. She shivered as it echoed off the walls. These things couldn’t be human. Or zombies. No. As far as she knew their brains were perfectly healthy. Not a single hint it was infected with something. But the thing that freaked Piper out the most was how they looked. Normal. All except for their eyes. They looked glassy. A little too glassy. That was the only reason she was alive today. If their eyes didn’t give them away, nothing would. Except their personality, of course. They were killers. Horrible, gruesome killers. They couldn’t talk either. Another thing that gave them away. They could groan, laugh and scream. Just not talk. No matter how hard they tried. And Piper had seen them try to speak. It wasn’t pretty.

See any Cravers? Gabe whispered. Piper shook her head. Cravers. Something she and Gabe had come up with. Now mostly every survivor called them that. It was an accurate name since they craved human flesh. Yes. Cravers. It rolls off the tongue easily. Stephanie simply called them human clones. Weird but accurate for the situation. But she mostly called them Cravers too.

Piper stumbled a little when a young boy named Josh, probably five by the looks of him, started wailing in the corner. I want my mommy! He moaned way too loud. Piper flinched. If the Cravers didn’t know they were up there earlier, they did now. Gabe, switch. Piper twirled her finger around in the air, waiting for Gabe to take her place while she scrambled silently toward the tight corner. Hey. Hey, shut up. Piper’s voice was stern. Josh sniffled then immediately stopped crying. That goes for all of you. I’m in charge. I want to live. Your parents gave me the responsibility to keep you safe, and I intend to do so. I know your all scared and so am, I but we can’t lose our heads. Got it? Most of the kids nodded. Some of them were too young to understand.

Piper sighed. Hopefully someone would come rescue them soon. Gabe, Stephanie, and she left the nearest safe house to help some stragglers in this little town in Virginia. Piper knew it was a bad idea since Virginia was where the apocalypse started. The most overrun state there was. More than half the people they came to rescue were killed. Including her parents. By Cravers. What else?

A loose tear slid down her cheek. Piper thought her parents died months ago, but when she found them here, she was overjoyed. So were Gabe and Stephanie. But that joy was taken away not long after that. Not an hour after Piper was reunited with her parents, they were killed by those idiotic Cravers. The memory flashed through her mind.

The abandoned hospital was the only shelter they found while running for their lives. Cravers came from every direction. The men tried to barricade the doors just before the Cravers slammed into them. Even Gabe was doing his fair share. Stephanie stayed with the woman in the back of the main room, helping some moms with their children. Piper held her pistols high, just waiting for Cravers to break through. Just as she suspected, the men were no match for the hundreds of Cravers on the other side. The doors blasted open, releasing an army of maniacs. Some men were killed in the process.

Piper and her mother herded the women and the rest of the men down the long hall. Some men stayed behind to slow the flood down. During her flee did Piper learn her father was one of the men who were killed. But there was no time for mourning. They ran and ran through that dumpy hospital until they came upon a broken elevator shaft. Gabe and Stephanie helped the kids climb up as Piper and the rest of the woman fought for their lives.

That’s when Piper’s mom turned to her and said, Go and help Gabe and Stephanie with the kids. The rest of us will hold them off.

But, Mom, Piper stared into her mother’s eyes to see if she was serious. She was. You’ll die.

Maybe. But I’ll be with the Lord after that. Never forget the love I have for you and your siblings. Now go! Piper’s mom then pushed her into the shaft just as a new flood of Cravers arrived.

She pushed some metal door thing in front of the opening to block her escape. No! Piper yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks. No! She kicked and pushed on the thing, but it was no use. She was sealed shut. For good. But that was the past. Piper shouldn’t let that get to her anymore. Piper. I may need some assistance. Gabe cocked his shotgun and waved her over. Piper wiped a tear from her cheek and joined Gabe.

What?

Movement. Left side. Craver? Piper had no doubt it was. But how did it get passed the metal door her mother stashed there? Piper waved the thought away and raised one of her pistols.

Ask it a question.

What? But—

Do it.

Okay… Gabe hesitated before calling out. Hello? W…who are you? It wasn’t like him to stammer, but Piper was too focused to notice. A low groan answered them. Piper knew if it was a Craver, they had to shoot it. Then a whole bunch of them would join.

Nothing ever seemed easy. Answer, she ordered, putting more pressure on the trigger.

Suddenly, an adult male jumped up the shaft, grinning evilly. Blood oozed out of his mouth. It looked human enough. Piper looked away and squeezed the trigger. She heard a gurgling sound rise up from the thing’s throat and fall lifelessly until it struck the floor with a loud thud.

Good job. Now the guests are gonna arrive soon. Gabe grumbled something unintelligent under his breath and checked the bullets in his gun.

Steph, grab your AK and check the bullets. It’s gonna get loud. He smiled awkwardly like he couldn’t wait for death to arrive.

Why am I surprised? Piper thought. This is normal for him. Piper cocked her pistols and made sure her spare was in her belt. Thankfully, it was. Fully loaded too. She loaded her other two pistols, which were almost empty from the chaos earlier.

Everyone else have a spare? A pistol? They both nodded, fear on Stephanie’s face and eagerness on Gabe’s. Piper didn’t know what to feel instead of pure hatred for the Cravers. Killing her parents? She swore to rid the planet of them. Piper almost fell down the shaft when blood-chilling screams erupted from all different directions. Piper didn’t know if any were behind them or not. She kept her eyes locked down the shaft. She heard the kids sniffling in the corner, not daring to say a word. Piper fell backward when the first Craver jumped onto a low-hanging wire.

Crap, she muttered.

Here we go! Gabe yelled, firing the first shot. Stephanie didn’t say anything. She just started spraying them, killing Craver after Craver. Piper got up in a hurry, kicking a Craver trying to jump on her. She cursed when one of her pistols ran on low. She whipped it to the ground and pulled out her backup. The thick crowd of Cravers never thinned. They just kept on coming. Every time a Craver’s head popped up out of the shaft, the kids in the corner screamed in horror.

Calm down! Stephanie yelled, clearly annoyed. Piper was getting annoyed with the children’s wailing too. It was bad enough fighting off Cravers without children screaming in the background.

I’m running on low! Gabe cried frantically. Piper never wanted to fight tons of Cravers with a shotgun. Two pistols were good enough for her. Cover for me! Stephanie nodded and stepped into Gabe’s place, still shooting like crazy. Gabe bent over his gun and loaded like a madman. Piper gritted her teeth when her second pistol clicked from emptiness. She only had one left. And it was half empty already. Stephanie groaned when her AK clicked in protest.

Gabe finished loading and motioned for Stephanie to hurry up and load. She and Gabe switched just as a huge explosion crackled to life. Gabe flew onto two injured Cravers, killing them in the process. Stephanie crashed into a bricked wall, getting knocked out for a quick second when her head came in contact. Piper just so happened to land in the pile of wailing kids. What came after was something new to Piper. Silence. She coughed a little and looked around the dusty debris-filled room. Still silence.

Gabe? she whispered in fear a Craver might attack at any moment.

Steph? One girl, Brittany, she thought, clutched to Piper’s right arm, making it hard for her to lift the pistol straight. It didn’t really matter since her hand was shaking so badly.

Gabe? Steph? Please answer.

Uh…Gabe?

Present, he called back. Piper eased against the wall a little.

Are you with Stephanie? Pause.

No, he answered glumly.

Steph? Stephanie! Piper didn’t care who heard her. She just wanted her sister.

She’s fine, a familiar male voice said.

Mark?

The one and only.

Piper could hear the smile on his face. Piper smiled and laughed a little, looking down. She stood and headed toward where she heard Mark’s voice. Gabe had already reached him, giving Mark the bro hug.

Was that you who set off the explosion? she asked. Come on, you know me. Who else would?

Piper then spotted Stephanie standing behind Mark, clutching her bleeding head. Steph!

Yeah? Piper enveloped her sister in a hug.

If I lost you too… Piper didn’t finish. She didn’t have to. Stephanie would know. Gabe cleared his throat, signaling their little reunion was over.

The kids? he said. Oh, right. Piper trudged over to where the kids sat, still clutching one another in fear Cravers might attack again. It’s okay. It’s just me. She kneeled over a little girl whose eyes were swollen.

Mark, you and Stephanie climb down the shaft and wait as Gabe and I bring you kids. Wait till every last one is safely down there. Got it? Mark hesitated first before nodding. Piper felt weird giving the orders. Usually he did. After Mark and Stephanie were at the bottom of the shaft, Gabe and Piper took turns carrying kids one by one down. Finally, all that were left was Josh and a girl named Jamie. You get Josh. I’ll take the girl.

Always giving me the hard jobs, aren’t ya? Piper smiled faintly as Gabe carried Josh down, getting swallowed by the darkness.

All right, Jamie. Your turn.

Piper turned to the little girl but stopped when she got a closer look at her. Her eyes were darting every which way. She seemed frozen in place, and her mouth opened and closed, like she was trying to say something but couldn’t. That’s when Piper noticed it. The glossiness of the girl’s eyes. A sign that she was a Craver. Uh, Gabe? I think we got— Piper didn’t finish. Instead, Jamie laughed hysterically and tackled her to the ground. The laughter told Piper she was hungry for human flesh. Not good.

Get off! Of course, that did nothing, and Jamie bit into Piper’s shoulder. She screamed in agony. Piper dug her hand into her belt and pulled out her remaining pistol. I’m sorry, she whispered before pulling the trigger. A crackling sound came from the bullet entering the girl’s skull, then she fell off of Piper, twitching on the ground.

Everything okay up there? Gabe called up. Horrible timing.

Sure. Just got attacked by a Craver and bit into, but you know. The usual. She knew Gabe probably rolled his eyes, but that was such a stupid question. Didn’t he hear the gunshot?

At least you’re okay. Now get down here.

Piper took one last look at Jamie and started to climb down. The weight of herself strained against her arm. She ignored the pain and kept on going. Piper stopped suddenly when something cool and liquid landed on her hand. She looked. Blood. Dark red, sticky blood. She looked up. A Craver sat at the top of the shaft smiling down at her. It sat in a monkey stance, like he was waiting to be fed. Fed with human flesh. Not mine, though, she thought. More blood dripped from his mouth, now landing on Piper’s cheek. Gross. She then let go of the shafts walls and plunged to the ground. Once her feet hit the floor, she took off running. She blew past Mark, Stephanie, and Gabe, scooping up a stunned girl. Thankfully, the others must’ve noticed something was off and followed. When Piper ran halfway across the hospital, she stopped to listen. The others stopped to catch their breath.

What’s wrong? Gabe asked through a deep breath. Hysterical laughter answered.

That. That’s what’s wrong, Piper said. Then a question hit her. Mark?

Yeah?

How’d you get here?

He smiled faintly. By helicopter, he answered simply.

Who flew it? This time Gabe asked.

You can’t fly? he gulped. Can you?

No. Elise flew. Max, Carter, and Bridgett are waiting for us at the entrance. Must’ve forgot to mention that important piece of information, huh?

Yes. Yes, you did.

Gabe patted his friend’s back. But don’t worry. We can all be a nimrod every now and then. Mark chuckled, and slapped Gabe over the head.

Piper looked over at