Snatchers (Book 8): The Dead Don't Pray by Shaun Whittington

stepladders of the attic and peered out of my bedroom window. Four of those things were around a woman I recognised and were ripping her apart.
     
    The screams were horrendous, but I watched in morbid fascination, watching these things in action for the first time. Shuddering with fright, I looked around the street to see evidence of what had happened over the last couple of days. Blood had been spilt; I had counted at least four bodies, what was left of them, in the street and a car had crashed into a house on the other side of the road. To say I am frightened would be an understatement, but I'm a mother and I need to get on with it. I need to be strong for my little girl and hope help will come soon.
     
     
    June 12th
     
    I'm lucky if I got two hours of sleep last night. My daughter, bless her, snored for most of the night, but it wasn't her cold that kept me awake. The lack of communication is beginning to worry me from the media. Some news channels are not broadcasting anymore, and that can only be a bad thing, right? Anyway, more action has been witnessed by myself in the street, and it appears that some of the residents are fighting back. I saw four men in a group, all armed with bats, and taking out whatever beasts that were roaming around. The men are also going into houses, and I assume that they're going in to check on the people inside.
     
    I'm too petrified to go out, and I'm praying that, if not today, they come to mine tomorrow. I'm beginning to run out of food and me and Kate are both going out of our minds with boredom. Fortunately we still have power. For now.
     
     
    June 13th
     
    The men came this morning and we had a chat on the doorstep about the surreal situation that was unfolding. They told me that a lot of people had decided to leave, which stunned me. I was in two minds if that was a brave thing to do or just suicide. I suppose they did what they did to keep themselves and their families alive, to have a better chance. Personally I listened to what the media told me and never left the house. I have family, like most people, but I'm not prepared to risk mine and my daughter's life to see them. At the moment they don't seem to be risking theirs to see me, but there might be a good reason for that. I don't want to think about that right now.
     
    It has been a terrible evening. My girl is in her bed, out for the count, and I am trying hard not to drink any more wine and I'm now sitting and scribbling in the corner.
     
    I've just heard the awful screams of a male. It's obvious what was happening to him as the screams went on for many seconds before silence reared its head. I sat there in tears, imaging him on the floor, lying there, dead, and his insides being stuffed in the mouths of those disgusting rotting bastards. I got up and ran to my kitchen sink and threw up.
     
     
    June 14th
     
    I never slept a wink last night. I know people say that and exaggerate massively, but I honestly never slept a second of sleep last night and now I'm feeling it. No matter how bad things are going, whatever disaster is happening around the world, humans still need to sleep, whether they like it or not, and right now I'm totally exhausted.
     
    I passed out on the couch after lunchtime, and woke up nearly two hours later and couldn't find my daughter, my Kate. I searched up the stairs and couldn't find her; then I ran back down to the ground floor, wondering what the hell had happened. My heart was beating out of my chest and I couldn't breathe, then suddenly ... boo!
    She was hiding behind the couch and wanted to scare me. She succeeded. I could have slapped her, but instead I broke down and gave her the biggest cuddle a little girl could get off her mother.
     
    We have been asked to leave and go to Sandy Lane to be closer to the other residents, but I'm not so sure. I've got a feeling I'm not going to have a say in the matter. Initially I told them no , but I have a feeling, after four days, that they want to