she flies with her own wings: The Passage

“We live, we die. Somewhere along the way, if we're lucky, we may find someone to help lighten the load.”

I’ve never read a book like this before. It was recommended to me by my friend Chris, when I signed up for Audible several months ago.

It’s a very intense story. There are many characters; it’s somewhat difficult to keep track of them all in your head. But hang on, I promise it will be worth it. This tale reaches out and grabs you. Despite the horror, the heartbreak, and the downhill spiral, you have to know how it ends.

One of the most intriguing sections, and an integral part of the story, is the top secret experiment which began in a secret underground lair deep in the mountains in Colorado.

The US government rounded up twelve death row inmates, and, after convincing them to sign release forms, conducted experiments on them. The scientists wanted to produce super soldiers for the US Army. The experiment content originated from a man named Fanning, who had been a survivor on an expedition into Bolivia, where he had been bitten by an infected bat.

If you think you know where this is going, you might be right.

The twelve subjects slowly grew stronger. The scientists didn’t feel as if they saw much progress; all the “creatures” did was to eat 9 out of the 10 rabbits they were given for food.

By this time, they were referred to as creatures, because their bodies had morphed into weird rabid-looking beings. They hung in the corners, making clicky noises with their throats. Their claws clicked on the walls, and their eyes glowed with liquid green fire.

The scientists, and the soldiers guarding the compound, received orders to shut down the operation. There was no perceivable success. The subject had so far shown no signs of superiority or special immunities. They were freaks.

However, unknown to the scientists, the twelve have developed the ability to communicate in their minds.

One of the assistants, Grey, was able to understand them clearly, and, on the insistence of Babcock (one of the twelve), he unlocks the secured area, releasing them all. He is bitten, becoming the first casualty.

What follows is utter chaos. The twelve ran rampant across the country, killing. The people, whom they did not kill, were changed into creatures like themselves. The entire population of North America is nearly wiped off the face of the earth.

Much later on in the story, someone remarked, “Sorry, we made vampires; it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

But what follows is a delightful collection of twisty plots and surprises. It’s a magnificent book, and I’m happy this was my first great vampire story.