The Ruins Book 3 Page 23

  Tears streamed down William's face.

  "The Plagued Ones remind me of animal packs from the wild deserts, across the seas," Barron said calmly, his hand still locked on William's arm. "You wouldn't have seen them, William, but they were a spectacle. We used to watch them on devices from the comforts of our homes, thousands of miles away. Those animals often worked together, though. The Plagued Ones fight for food. They are always hungry."

  Bodies moved in a frenzied blur from Cullen to the corn, as if they hadn't just turned a man's flesh into pulp and picked his bones clean. On the other side of the courtyard, past the wall at the front of the building, Rudyard waved his arms like some unceremonious priest, controlling the first batch of demons that had already fed. When the second batch of demons was done, the bells rang, the guards opened the Feeding Pen door, and the demons streamed out, pieces of Cullen caked to their faces and hands. They crossed the courtyard, passed Bray and the guards, and returned through the open front gate.

  "The taste of flesh inspires a savagery that is as fascinating as it is frightening," Barron said, scratching his wart-covered chin. "But they are good at taking care of our waste. And they are the reason we are safe."

  "Thankfully, the humans are down there, and we are up here," Tolstoy said, his look as much a statement as a warning as he looked at William. "We are the gods, and the humans serve us. If you are smart, you will keep it that way, William, and your other two friends will stay alive."

  THE RUINS 4 COMING SOON - AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER NOW!

  Afterword

  One of the most enjoyable parts of writing THE RUINS was imagining the different cultures that might live in that world. Like the world in which we currently live, I envisioned the realm of THE RUINS with its own ecosystem, where everything—and everyone—plays a role.

  The Clickers were inspired by various tribes in Africa, both past and present, who speak in a language comprised mostly of tongue clicks. With three hundred years passing since humanity's downfall, and demons roaming the forests, it was easy to see how the most adaptable people might develop an alternate form of language—one that is more unrecognizable to both the infected, and the eavesdropping ears of other humans.

  On the opposite end, it was just as easy to see how The Gifted—those who had lived through mankind's collapse—might seek to recreate mankind's technology.

  Unfortunately, Bray, Kirby, and William had no choice in their role. At least, not at the moment.

  If you enjoyed Book 3, please leave a review. A few sentences would suffice. Each review is like a buying a flagon of Snowberry for Bray at the tavern. He could use a drink, after what he's seen.

  -Tyler Piperbrook

  September 2017

  P.S. Fans of Bobby Adair's Dusty's Diary series might notice some tie-ins between this book and Dusty's Diary 2, which was just released. I won't spoil anything for you, but you can check it out here!

  P.P.S. You can preorder The Ruins 4 now on Amazon! Thanks as always for reading!

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  Other Things To Read

  Since Book 4 of THE RUINS isn't out yet…

  The CONTAMINATION series might help tide you over. It's a fast-paced, action-oriented zombie series with a twist. You can check out the Boxed Set HERE.

  Text copyright © 2017 T.W. Piperbrook

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, or events is purely coincidental.