Free Tesla: A Teen Steampunk/Cyberpunk Adventure (Tesla Evolution Book 1) by Mark Lingane

it would be until a search party was sent out. Probably the next day, or maybe in a few days, it was something he couldn’t count on.  
    He looked up at the dark clouds in the west. They were rolling in fast, and he couldn’t see any shelter to be found here. He squinted across the plain to the south. He could make out some low hills with trees. He considered them his best chance of shelter.  
    Hanging around so many dead bodies gave him the creeps, anyway. What if they came back to life?

11

    IT WAS AN hour before he hit the slow rise of the ground and the edge of the woodlands. The wind had picked up and now the rain started to fall. It was gentle for now, but he knew it wouldn’t be long before it became torrential. There was a large outcrop of rocks to his left, which warranted further examination.  
    As he approached, he noticed a dark recess. His spirits lifted. It was probably a cave. A dry, sheltered spot out of the wind and rain. He ran inside just as the heavy rains hit. Puffing, he sat down and flicked the water from his hair.  
    There was a scraping sound from the back of the cave. He sighed. There was an animal inside with him. He was sure that whatever beast it was, it would undoubtedly be terrified when it saw him and instantly relieve itself, stinking up the place.  
    There was a groan. That didn’t sound like an animal, he thought. It sounded human.  
    He squinted into the darkness at the back of the cave. There was a scent, but not one of an animal. It vaguely, disturbingly, smelled of his aunt Ratty.  
    He crept down into the darkness.
    He allowed his eyes to become accustomed to the gloom, and was shocked to see a slight figure wrapped in a blanket lying against the rear of the cave. It was damp and cool back here, and was certainly a recipe for illness. His mother was always going on about wearing appropriate clothing to avoid catching a chill.
    He picked up a long stick and prodded the figure. Nothing. He prodded again. There was a groan, but no movement. He prodded repeatedly until the figure rose, swore, and threw a rock at him. It was a girl who looked to be a few years older than him.  
    He was completely at a loss at finding a girl in such an isolated place, and it struck him dumb while she unleashed her verbal assault on him. She eventually finished and glared at him. He stood there, unmoving. She sat there, disbelieving his unmovingness.
    “Didn’t you hear me?” she said.
    He nodded frantically.
    “Well?”
    “What?”
    There was more silence between them as each tried to understand what was going on.
    “I’m not a stupid little idiot, by the way,” he said.
    “I didn’t call you that.”
    “I know. I didn’t understand most of the words you used but I got the gist. They’re mainly the words my mother uses when she’s riding a horse.”
    She picked up another rock and prepared to launch it.
    “What are you doing here?” he asked.
    “What’s it to you? Get out of here.”
    “It’s raining.” He pointed out to the heavy rain falling from the dark skies.
    “I don’t care.” The girl coughed. “Get out.”
    Sebastian stepped out into the rain. She glared at him. He looked forlornly back at her as the rain poured over him. It trickled down his neck into the back of his tunic. He shivered.
    The girl sighed theatrically and rolled over to face the back of the cave.  
    He sneezed.  
    “Oh, for goodness’ sake, come in. But stay over there. And go when it stops.”
    He traipsed back in and sat down with a squelch. He fiddled with the stitching on his backpack for several minutes until the silence got to him.  
    “What’s your name?” he said.
    She rolled over and presented her back to him. “I don’t have one.”
    “Oh. I’m Sebastian.” He wondered if he should offer his hand to shake.
    “Look, you’re going in a minute. It doesn’t matter what my name is.” She coughed violently, curling into a ball. “Stop talking to me. You’re making me