As They Rise (The Eva Series #1)

Alternate Ending: Eva, The Exorcist

Hey guys! This is an alternate ending for AS THEY RISE that I wrote to help celebrate the new Fox TV series THE EXORCIST. Fox commissioned me to write this, and as a huge horror fan I had to say yes!

I'm so excited to share it with you and I hope you enjoy it! And remember to follow me to get all my updates!

Love, Jen (jenmariewilde on snapchat & twitter)

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My hands trembled as I pulled the cabin door of the RV open. "Get in!" I said to Jo, who jumped inside. I followed behind her while Ben and Wyatt climbed into their seats, with Ben at the wheel.

I heard the click of the keys turning in the engine, but nothing happened.

"Shit!" Ben sputtered, and once again I heard the click of the keys. Nothing. "No, no, no. Come on!"

Wyatt stared at Ben with wide eyes. "Don't tell me ..."

Ben shook his head, turning the key once more. "It won't start."

I watched through the window as the horde closed in on us.

The youngest and fastest of the infected had the lead of the pack. A teenage girl with curly blonde hair and freckles had sped up ahead of the others. Her eyes had glazed over but her skin hadn't started to decay yet, so I knew she must have been one of the newest to turn.

They were getting too close. Even if the RV suddenly came to life, they would overwhelm us.

Ben turned to look at each of us. A slow smile spread across his face. Then, without warning, he opened the door and jumped out of the RV.

"Ben!" Wyatt called. "What are you doing?"

He didn't answer. He just walked straight toward the horde, with an air of calmness that I'd never seen in him before.

"What do we do?" Jo asked, clutching my arm. "He's going to get himself killed!"

"We gotta stop him," I said. We climbed out of the RV and raced after him, with Dixon alongside us.

"Ben!" I screamed. "Stop!"

I reached him first and took hold of his arm. But when he turned around, what I saw made me let go of him and step back.

His eyes were blood red. I stared into them, feeling like I was looking into a bottomless pit. I didn't know how, but Ben was gone.

I turned around and stopped Wyatt and Jo from getting too close to him. "His eyes," I said, unable to say any more.

Jo covered her mouth with her hands while Wyatt just stared at Ben in shock. Dixon stood in between us and Ben, barking ferociously-just like he barks at zombies.

Ben smiled at us, then turned back to face the horde. He lifted a hand up, and suddenly the zombies stopped in their tracks, like they'd hit an invisible wall. Screeches and wails filled the air as they rose off the road as if by magic. Jo, Wyatt and I huddled together in terror as we watched hundreds of zombies hover off the ground like they were hanging from puppet strings. Slowly, quietly, we backtracked toward the RV, pulling Dixon with us.

Ben took a step closer to the horde, reached up to the teenage girl zombie and began peeling the skin off of her face like he was unwrapping a chocolate bar. My stomach lurched as the layer of skin hung off her chin, her eyes staring hungrily at Ben.

Wyatt opened the door to the RV, but just before we stepped inside, Ben called out to us.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said. But it wasn't Ben's voice. It was deeper, more like a growl or a lion's roar. It sent terrified chills down my spine.