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.
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/
Twitter:
@JoeReyesAuthor
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/joe.reyes.5203
Instagram:
@JoeReyesAuthor
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