Free Apocalypse Weird: Reversal (Polar Wyrd Book 1) by Jennifer Ellis

temperature had dropped precipitously, and a frigid breeze blew over Sasha, like there was a window or a door open.
    “Who’s there?” Soren said. “Answer.”
    “Soren Anderson, always so authoritative,” a chilling, raspy voice said. The same voice the thing had used in the bay, the thing that had called her perfect. “I’m just paying a little house call to see how things are going on this fine evening.” Sasha’s body started to shake like Timber’s. Whatever this thing was, it was not human.
    “Who are you?” Soren demanded.
    “Some call me Ice,” the cold voice announced.
    “What are you?”
    “Well, that’s complicated and unimportant right now. I’ve come to talk strategy. Well, that and to feast my eyes on the lovely Sasha Wood.” If Sasha was cold before, these words sent an even deeper surge of ice into her veins.
    “What?” Soren said.
    “You are fond of the cold, no, Soren Anderson? I am only making that assumption based on your lifestyle choices. There are worse outcomes that we could have than a land of ice and snow. There are those who would take the ice and snow away from us forever. Remember that, when your time comes.”
    “What are you talking about?” Soren snapped.
    But there was no further response, and the cold wind in the station vanished. Timber lunged away from Sasha in a clatter of toenails, barking. Tundra and Cedar followed, and the three dogs whipped themselves into a frenzy howling and baying into every corner of the common room, but whatever had been there, whatever had spoken to them, had vanished. Sasha sniffed. It smelled faintly like ocean or fish.
    “I’m scared,” Sasha said.
    “We need to start carrying our guns at all times,” Soren replied.
    “What if we shoot each other?”
    “We just have to make sure we’re touching each other when we start shooting. I did not like the sound of that thing, but I don’t think we should assume that a bullet can’t take it out.”
    “We shouldn’t assume that it doesn’t have its own gun.”
    “Maybe. If it does, and it wants to kill us, we’re dead, but I don’t plan on inviting it to take the first shot.”
     
     
    With a handgun stuffed uncomfortably into her belt and Timber once again huddled against her side, Sasha returned to playing with the radio. With her gun skills, she’d probably shoot herself in the leg.
    It sounded like Soren was dishing up plates. She gave the dial one last twist and the station was suddenly filled with a new voice.
    “I want to give you every assurance that our scientists are working on the situation. If there is anyone in the world who is not currently blind, they will find them, and they will figure out what has taken away our sight and how it can be restored.”
    “It’s President Kent,” Sasha said. She could hear Soren approaching.
    “For those of you who lost loved ones today on airplanes and in motor vehicle accidents and other unavoidable tragedies, we are all very sorry for your loss. To those of you in emergency situations, please be patient, firefighters, policemen, and paramedics are trying to get to you. The military has been mobilized. If you are not in an emergency situation, we ask that you sit tight, and help your neighbors.”
    Everyone in the world was blind. Sasha had not even considered this shocking enormity. If everyone in the world was blind, there would be no rescue. No hope of getting out of the Arctic.
    “We know you are worried about loved ones, but our communications networks are damaged and overloaded and struggling to keep up. We ask that you stay off the phone and the Internet as much as possible while we try to restore basic services. Thank you and God Bless.”
    Static overtook the radio again, and no matter how much she twisted the dial, she could not find another station.
    She heard the sound of wine being poured into glasses, and then they both sat at the table and ate the cheese and bean burritos that Soren had prepared. They each had