Adam took a shuddering breath and released the energy stored in his left hand. Every light in the car flared into brilliance before exploding, showering them in plastic shards. The energy surged through the metal frame, leaping and popping across the dashboard as warning lights blinked to life, then died.

  The goblin halfway through the glass convulsed so violently Adam heard something in its back snap. Its mouth was locked open in a silent scream, tendrils of smoke curling from its gaping maw. Blood burst from its eyes and ears, splattering Adam in ichor for the second time in an hour.

  The second goblin on the hood flopped like a fish out of water, its fingers losing their grip. A second later, it tottered, fell backward, and disappeared beneath the bumper. The car bounced with a familiar WHUMP-WHUMP as it was run over.

  The engine abruptly died, and the car began to coast. Adam couldn’t feel his hand, and for a moment he wondered if the goblin on the roof had managed to bite it off. He pressed down on the brake, his head spinning from the energy expenditure and he tried to focus long enough to stop the car.

  He pulled his hand back in just as the vehicle rolled to a stop. His hand was covered in a few nasty looking scrapes, but all of his fingers were still attached. He turned toward the backseat, but a wave of vertigo caused his vision to double, and he fell back into his seat, fighting to stay conscious.

  Samantha uncurled herself in the passenger seat, reaching out a tentative hand and grasping his arm.

  "That... was amazing,” she said breathlessly.

  Two more hands came up and clasped his shoulders. He turned his head and offered a weak smile.

  "Thanks. Just... don't ask me to do that again anytime soon."

  A bottle of water was thrust into his hand and Adam struggled to unscrew the lid. His fingers spasmed and twitched repeatedly before he finally pried it off. His hand shook as he raised the bottle to his lips, spilling water across his face. He chugged the contents like a man dying of thirst, his vision clearing slightly, though the edges still blurred with fatigue. He tossed the empty bottle onto the floor of his ruined car.

  "No promises." Hector's voice was unusually cheerful, and Adam groaned. He suddenly felt giddy, the insanity of the last several minutes settling into his brain. Reaching out he prodded the gently smoking goblin. Its skin felt brittle and thin, like it had been baked.

  Following his lead, Samantha reached over and pinched the cheek of the dead monster. The skin came away with a little tug. It reminded Adam of beef jerky and his stomach growled against his will.

  "I feel like a complete psycho even asking, but... was that kind of fun?" Natalie asked, the question lingering in the air, mixing with the scent of melted plastic.

  It was kind of fun, Adam thought, but he wasn't ready to admit that out loud. He was absolutely sure he shouldn't be having fun, but deep down he knew he was.

  The smell of burning plastic was growing steadily stronger and curls of acrid smoke were pouring out from under the hood.

  "I think that's our cue to go." Hector was out of the car and moving before he finished speaking, his footfalls heavy on the pavement.

  "We'll have company soon!" he shouted, pointing behind the car.

  Adam groaned again.

  "It never fucking ends." He grabbed the door handle and heaved himself up and out, wobbling only slightly as he kept his hand on the door for support.

  The goblin on the roof was clearly dead. It lay face down, the back of its skull missing as if something had erupted from the inside. The skin of its hands were fused to the roof and it steamed slowly in the night air, wafting the smell of burning hair. It twitched once, making Adam stumble backwards in surprise, then went still again.

  Natalie bent down, searching beneath the seats before finally retrieving her gun. "It was under Adam's seat. Sorry Hector." She holstered the weapon and turned her attention to the bobbing lights approaching from road behind them. "They'll be here in a few minutes, I'd guess."

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  Adam looked around. The only illumination came from the moon overhead, and he was suddenly very aware that they were outside, at night, and very exposed. Again. "We need to get moving."

  "Yes, but where are we headed?" Hector asked.

  Adam realized he had never explained their next step, not that there'd exactly been time.

  "We're headed to my friend Stephen's house. We lost contact a few days ago, and I need to check on him. Samantha and Natalie agreed to come along. After that, we're making it up as we go."

  He hooked the hammer through a strap on his backpack. The head was stained almost black in the moonlight, and he grimaced.

  "Works for me." Hector shrugged and backed away from the car. "Your car is on fire."

  Adam walked to the front, and sure enough, small gouts of flame crackled out of the radiator. He felt a small pang of regret for his old life, the destruction of his car one more sign that the world had truly gone insane.

  A flash of light caught Adam's eye further down the road. "Did anyone else see that?" He pointed in the direction of the flash, squinting into the darkness and hoping to catch it again. A moment later, another flicker confirmed he wasn't imagining it.

  "Yeah, I saw it," Natalie confirmed. "Head that way?"

  "Yeah, I think that's our best bet," Hector agreed, and started walking toward the flashes.

  "You know predators sometimes use light to lure in prey?" Samantha said, limping slightly as she struggled to keep up.

  "Hush you." Natalie put Samantha's arm around her shoulders and helped her keep pace.

  Their relationship gave Adam hope, even in the bleakness of their new reality. The idea that something normal and human could still survive warmed him in a way he couldn't explain.

  He kept his eyes peeled, scanning for threats as they hurried down the street toward the flashing light. He caught the occasional flicker of movement between the buildings behind them and to the sides, but nothing materialized.

  After several minutes, a bright neon sign came into view, flickering occasionally in the predawn darkness. The sign sat atop a large, modern RV and read OPEN in bold letters.

  The RV was parked in the lot of an abandoned gas station Adam had passed a few times over the last year, a FOR SALE sign plastered across one of its boarded-up windows.

  The four came to a stop on the curb in front of the bizarre scene. A man dressed in a plain gray suit with a bowler hat sat in a lawn chair beside the RV door. He stood up and waved, a friendly smile on his face.

  "Is anyone else seeing this?" Natalie wheezed, sounded like she about to burst out laughing, though Adam couldn't figure out what, exactly, was funny.

  "Yeah. I see it," Hector said, his voice distinctly unamused. Adam thought he heard a slight tremor in his normally even tone.

  A distant crash of breaking glass came from the street behind them, and Adam turned. The approaching goblin horde was illuminated by the inferno that was once his car, their tiny figures jumping and screeching in the darkness as they gave chase. He guessed they'd be on them in just over a minute. He was shocked at how fast the little bastards were.

  The man in the suit waved again, beckoning to them with that same friendly smile.

  Adam again looked over his shoulder at the incoming swarm, then at the smiling man. He shook his head and stepped forward, his companions following closely behind.

  "Hello!" the man said, removing his hat. "Welcome to my place of business!"

  His words were precise, warm, and entirely without accent. It gave Adam the creeps.

  "Hi," Adam said, glancing over his shoulder again.

  "Hello!" the man repeated in precisely the same tone, his friendly smile unchanged.

  The four exchanged confused looks and Samantha stepped forward before Natalie could stop her. "Hello, what sort of business do you do?"

  "I'm glad you asked! I buy, sell, and trade!" He returned the hat to his head, adjusting it until it sat perfectly in place.

  "What do you buy, sell and trade?" Samantha asked, her tone neutral, as if she were talking to a machine.

  The man's smile widened, almost reaching his eyes.

  "Why, everything!"

  Something about the way he said everything set Adam's teeth on edge. The whole scene smelled like a trap, and he fought to keep his nerves in check.

  "How about we cut the bullshit? What, exactly, do you buy, sell and trade?" Adam said, keeping all but the slightest hint of irritation from his voice. His patience with being attacked, manipulated, and jerked around was wearing dangerously thin.

  The man turned to him, the smile fading slightly. "As I said, everything."

  The word hit with a physical force, brushing across Adam's skin like a warm breeze, inviting and seductive.

  "Are you here to do business?" the man asked.

  Adam took a chance. "What if we are?" He glanced at the horde now fully in view at the edge of parking lot.

  The man's smile widened again, returning to its former brilliance. "Then I will invite you in and show you my wares!"

  His eyes seemed to stare through Adam for a moment, before focusing back on his face. "Would you like to do business?"

  "Yes," Adam said, without bothering to look to anyone else for permission or confirmation.

  "Very well!" The man motioned toward the steps to his RV. "Please come in. And, don't worry about them." He pointed down the street, palm facing upward. "As long as we are conducting business, you are under my protection."

  "And what about when we're done?" Adam asked, though he suspected he already knew the answer.

  The man smiled wider and motioned again toward the steps. "We can discuss that near the end of our negotiations! For now, however, please come in. My inventory is vast, and we should get started right away.

  Adam swallowed and nodded, walking up the short flight of stairs. Natalie, Samantha and Hector following close behind.

  He couldn't shake the feeling he had either saved all of their lives, or made a terrible mistake.

  The feeling, and the man, followed them inside and into the unknown.

  safe? Of course you are, you're not hanging out in the Post-Announcement world!

  That being said, since we are safe, feel free to discuss. I'd love to hear from you and get your thoughts. No need to leave a review (but it would be great if you did), comments are fine. I'm mostly curious how everyone is feeling now that we've hit this midpoint.

  Kill the Princess

  Who won't make it through to the end?