Free Corn, Cows, and the Apocalypse (Part 1) by Felicia Jedlicka Page A

I punched him in his Adam’s apple.  He withdrew the knife unable to resist clasping his hands on his aching throat.  I thought I would be able to get away, but he punched me in the face.  The blinding pain paralyzed me for a moment.  It took me a second to realize the tongue in my mouth was not my own. 
                  Garrett was on top of me, pushing his mouth onto mine.  I bit his tongue and he pulled away.  He slapped me, but I ignored the pain.  I pushed his knife wielding hand into his still cocked slapping hand, forcing him to gouge his flesh.  He must have been surprised by the move, because I was still able to punch his crotch and upper cut his chin before he could slash me with the knife. 
                  My forearm bled heavily from the retaliation, but I wasn’t concerned.  I pushed the knife up again.  As I suspected, he over compensated to push against me so I didn’t cut him again.  I turned his wrist as he pushed back.  The knife planted firmly in the linoleum beneath us.  He pulled back on it, but it slipped from his hand. 
                  I grabbed the knife prepared for the extra tug it would take to release it.  He jumped off me to avoid my newly acquired weapon, and I threw it at his head.  It was intended to be my shining moment in the battle, but the hilt hit his shoulder impotently, shattering any hopes I might have had about joining the circus.
                  Luckily, I was an ever devote scaredy-cat and already had my exit strategy in motion.  I was up and opening the door before the knife hit the floor.  I slipped out just as he started to charge after me.             
                  I hadn’t really anticipated what to do when I got outside.  I ran.  It was the only thing I could think to do, and there was only one place I could think to run to. 

 
     
     
    -The Great Escape-
                  When I arrived, I was wet with sweat, wet with tears, and wet with blood.  I couldn’t imagine what Priest thought when I walked through his church doors.  “Priest!”  I stumbled through the aisle, trying to find a happy medium between crying and breathing. 
                  He was standing at the altar with one of his female friends.  I was relieved that whatever they were about to do, hadn’t started yet.  “Lenore?”  He scrambled around the altar fully robed in what probably would have been saved for an Easter ceremony.  It didn’t matter. 
                  He was down the aisle after four long running strides.  He caught hold of me and lifted me into his arms before he could see that my injuries weren’t that serious.  “What the hell happened to you?”
                  “I didn’t know where else to go.  He tried to rape me.” 
                  “Who tried to rape you?”  He asked enraged by even the “tried” part. 
                  “I did.”  Garrett’s voice sounded at the door.  My head whipped, and between me wanting to run again, and Priest wanting to attack him, I was out of his arms in one swift movement. 
                  “You followed me?”  I asked behind Priest’s arm.  I wasn’t sure if he was pressing me behind him, or if I was cowering there, but I was content to grip onto his arm like it was a life preserver. 
                  “Actually, I arrived before you.  I still have my motorcycle remember.  I knew exactly where you were going.  August told me about your…priest.”
                  “She didn’t mention you.”  Priest said taking a step forward that I wasn’t ready to take, so it looked like I was holding him back.  “Who the fuck are you and what did you do to Lenore?”
                  “I’m her trainer.  Until tonight, I haven’t really been training, so much as prepping.  Tonight, I attacked