Aftermath
Book 1
Joe
Reyes
Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic
Publisher: Wasteland Press * Date of Publication: April 29, 2016
ISBN: 1681111128 * Number of pages: 284 * Word Count: 79, 722
Book Description:
Aftermath is a growing series about
war, love, brutality and most of all, survival. What was once the United States
has become a savage post-apocalyptic environment where the worst of the worst
prosper and the remaining good hide.
The series features a brutal
setting, where seven characters in different parts of the United States must
adapt to this new environment. The "fight or flight" mentality plays
into the story, as the nation is divided into factions fighting for control of
the country. The government is outnumbered, outgunned, and forced into hiding
as well to recoup their forces. The novel follows a fast paced momentum from
the first page to the last word. The plot pits these characters against the
elements and each other, with plot-lines intertwining on opposite sides of the
war effort. And one character's quest for revenge can jeopardize not only the
war outcome, but the reshaping of the entire nation.
With an ever-changing storyline and
evolving characters, the Aftermath series gets more intense with every chapter.
But what these characters don't realize, the terrifying evil is making its way
across the ocean.
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Excerpt: Sara
“People and beans
again?” a raggedy-looking man says as Sara passes him a plate. He glares down,
disappointed, at the meal of perfectly cut human flesh and a side dish of green
beans. Sara hands out more plates to the group of men huddled around a fire.
“When you guys
kill something other than people, you’ll get something else to eat,” she says
with a sarcastic smile, walking off.
It’s near-insane
to talk back to these guys. They are psychotic killers, but she is protected.
Marcus, their leader, has taken a liking to her. So it’s a choice of be killed,
be raped and then killed, or be his willing sex slave.
Sometimes she
doesn’t know if she made the right choice.
Before going back
to the kitchen, she stops by every group to see if they all have something to
eat. Dozens of groups gather around, having their breakfast. The field is
littered with dirty men and women feasting on human remains.
Probably over a
hundred in total, she guesses.
The Savages is
what they are called. The group started after the bombs fell about five years
ago. They were small at first, but they’ve since grown into a much larger army.
This gives them better resources and a nice cut of whatever they take from
towns.
All they do is
kill and raid villages. They swoop in, kill, take everything, and leave. They
take in recruits, sometimes, if they seem to fit the part. The survivors don’t
last long. They are usually killed and displayed as a message to discourage
others.
For years they
tried the whole nomad lifestyle, but when the army got bigger, they realized
they had to settle down.
It’s a lot easier
than constantly uprooting the whole camp.
They have no
reason to leave. There are always animals in the forest. A river provides fresh
water and fish. Armies are too afraid to attack them. They can’t survive an
all-out military assault, but the government has much more important enemies
than them to worry about.
They all wear
custom-made armors consisting of materials they find on the road. Sports gear
is a big part of it: elbow pads, football pads, helmets—anything they can find.
A lot of it is hand-sewn and made from animal skins.
The farm would
also pose a problem for moving. Horses are bred and domesticated as
transportation. Without cars and without gasoline to run them, they are a
necessary component of life here.
Each Savage has
the brand of an S on the back of his or her shoulder, indicating initiation
into the group. It is given after their first kill. After a big massacre and
initiation, they will celebrate with a great feast: their victims.
Sara never likes
thinking about how many people one dead body feeds. The thought makes her sick.
The taste has always bothered her. She may force herself to eat flesh when she
absolutely must, but she is and always has been a vegetarian . Even when they
spruce it up with spices and other ingredients, it is still a person, and no
amount of sauce can change that.
Sara’s stomach
starts to rumble. She hasn’t eaten much in days. Usually, she is able to sneak
extra beans and vegetables because the others love flesh, but the shortage of
them is now beginning to hit her.
Hopefully, Penny
can get me something, she thinks, walking into the large kitchen tent. The
sight doesn’t help her appetite. Penny is in the middle of carving someone up.
“Three years of
culinary school and I’m making foot filet for a hundred ingrates,” Penny mocks
as she hacks off a foot with a butcher’s knife.
Sara feels sick
again. She covers her mouth to hold the vomit back. The smell of blood is too
much.
“Aww, sweetie, not
feeling good?” Penny says affectionately, walking up to her. She doesn’t get
it, her shirt is covered in blood and it’s making Sara sicker, but she needs a
hug.
“New necklace?”
Sara asks, seeing a piece of the metal chain falling from Penny’s shirt.
“One of Eric’s men
gave it to me.” A gold snowflake hangs from the end, surrounded by pretty
little stones.
“Which guy?” Sara
asks.
Penny’s face
betrays her disgust. “The creepy looking one with the cuts.”
The kitchen tent
is filled with people preparing food for the group. There’s a huge fire going,
and the bodies are put on a metal gate over the fire to barbeque. The Savages
know that uncooked flesh can kill them. They are as smart as they are ruthless.
That’s why they’ve been around for all five years.
“You hungry?” Penny asks.
Sara shakes her
head. “He’ll probably make me eat with him later.”
Penny sighs but
says nothing. They both know what Marcus is going to do to her. Sara will have
to eat flesh again, among other things. Penny doesn’t like the idea of eating
people either, but she is a chef and can trick herself into thinking she’s
eating something else. With all the spices she’s schooled in, it’s almost easy.
Everyone who
doesn’t like it has ways of coping, but most of the Savages love the taste and
the trophy. Eating the very people they killed makes them feel tougher. Sara
would be the first to admit the taste of it isn’t bad, but that freaks her out
the worst.
“You smell nice
today,” she says from Penny’s arms, covered by her blonde hair.
“I found some
shampoo. I’ll give you some later tonight,” Penny says with a smile. “Now come
on, you have to bring the men food. The meeting’s starting.” Penny releases
her, only to hand Sara a tray of appetizing human parts and vegetables. “How do
I look?” Sara inquires.
Penny adjusts a
few out-of-place strands of hair on her head and smiles. “You look great.”
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
About the Author:
Joe Reyes has never been afraid to
go for what he wants in life. His goal is to be a full time published author
and is taking all the steps necessary to make that dream a reality. He hates
when he hears about people who give up on their dreams.
His writing style is fast paced.
When he wrote his novel Aftermath, he wanted it to feel like a television show.
Joe doesn’t like boring descriptions. He finds filler scenes to be a book
killer and makes sure that every chapter has an immediate purpose or a purpose
later on.
Website: https://joereyesauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joe.reyes.5203
Instagram: @JoeReyesAuthor
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