Root: Part IV, Chapter 8

One jump away from Mount Rushmore but too exhausted to reliably proceed, Hasta and crew circle the wagons as a new set of enemies approaches.

For more on this project, please see “This Year a Serial Takes Root.”

8.0 Hasta

“I swear to God it looked like a zombie,” Kylie said breathlessly.

“It wasn’t a zombie,” said Juan.

Kylie knotted her hands in her hair. “It climbed out of the ground.”

Hasta gestured toward the chokecherry trees growing near the left side of the big Ace Hardware store. It was au…