Mara limped away from the burning woods, her head pounding fiercely. She had to get back to Mother fast. Maybe she was right. Maybe sleep is the only thing keeping my conditions at bay. She glanced down at the blue pad shining in her hand and smiled weakly. At least I won’t return empty-handed like last time.

What did Jess mean I had died? PolyMorphic? Is that my condition? Mara mulled these questions over and over again. How did she know me? I’ll ask Mother. She would know these answers.

Way off in the opposite direction, the six Resurgents trudged silently through the woods. Seth brandished the sword out as a shield for oncoming dangers, its blade still glowing blue from the protective shield that enveloped them during the blasts.

Athena wrapped her arm around Jess’s shoulder, whispering comforting words to her. Tears streamed down Jess’s face as memory after memory of Mara flashed in her mind. She held a soaked rag to the gash on her forehead.

Gavin covered the rear, all weapons ready to go in a moment’s notice. Cooper coached Evan on the ways of the forest and the ways of technology. Thankfully, he knew exactly where the Resurgent base was, but losing that pad was devastating. They would have to shift locations, redo names, the whole shebang. Another step backward in their ultimate quest of escaping the Monitor.

Seth reached a little nook in the forest. “We rest here for the night. I’ll take first watch.”

END OF OFF THE GRID, A TEASER SHORT STORY FOR A FULL-LENGTH FEATURE NOVEL

UP NEXT: THE RISE OF THE DRAGON, A SEQUEL TO THE JEWEL OF LARIDAL (COMING JANUARY 2024)