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We moved at an uncomfortably relaxed pace Our world had been invaded and taken froer I felt as if we should have been sprinting and running for our lives but there wasn&039;t any apparent point or, bizarrely, anything much to run from The aliens were still very visible in the skies over our heads for sure but, fortunately, that here they see Instinctively we still took care to keep ourselves hidden as es and fences as often as we could, hoping that ould soon find the winding coast road

The day nowand painful that it felt as though weeks, not hours had passed by All that had happened today seemed so ludicrous, far-fetched and unreal and yet, in a peculiar way, the lost norer than the twisted present I guess it was because I knew there was no going back Everything I had classed as norone forever

I was conscious that Clare was beginning to tire and lag behind

&039;You all right?&039; I asked, turning round to face her I struggled to keep my voice at a volume that was sufficiently low and yet which could still be heard over the howling wind She nodded

&039;Fine,&039; she grunted

Yet another enor instantly and pressed our bodies tight against the brittle hedgerohich ran alongside us No matter e had been told, instinct forced us both to try and get out of sight when the aliens were close The massive machines were so quick, powerful and quiet that we had no way of knohen one was nearby untilit like this, vast and iain

&039;We must be close to the road now,&039; I whispered My breath condensed in cool clouds around my mouth My face felt battered and raw in the cold autu that for the last half-hour,&039; Clare hissed &039;Still think we&039;re heading in the right direction?&039;

I shrugged ht hand

&039;Don&039;t know,&039; I replied truthfully

&039;Still think we&039;re doing the right thing?&039;

&039;Don&039;t know,&039; I said again &039;Do you?&039;

&039;Not sure&039;

&039;Got to have been better than just sitting there and waiting for so? At thatback in Clare&039;s dark house again It see back

It began to pour with rain It had been spitting since we&039;d set out but this wasno signs of stopping There were low, heavy clouds all around us

&039;Fucking hell,&039; Clare cursed She stopped walking

&039;What&039;s the matter?&039;

&039;What do you think&039;s thehell, To wet What in God&039;s na out here?&039;

She wiped dribbles of water from her face and stood and stared at me I stared back Her body was haunched forward, and it see required more effort than she couldto calm and reassure her &039;The road&039;s not far ahead now All we need to do is&039;

&039;Is what? What&039;s the point? What are we going to achieve?&039;

I couldn&039;t argue and I couldn&039;t answer I felt as dejected, ehtened as she obviously was I turnedto reason with her

&039;Just keep ,&039; I shouted &039;The aliens aren&039;t interested in us We&039;ll be all right&039;

&039;But what about the others?&039; she yelled back at rily &039;What about Penny? I don&039;t knohere h the countryside in the hter&039;s out there somewhere on her own I should be with her&039;

I shook

&039;There&039;s no point&039;

&039;Why not?&039;

&039;Just trust me, will you?&039;