Phoenix Ashes Master

by Anne, Melody

  “I hope so because I’m lost. We haven’t trained beyond getting to the safe place and waiting for instructions. What if something has happened to them? What if we’re on our own?”

  Sadie started to panic, which wasn’t good for Phoenix. She was barely holding on herself. Jayden was gone and it seemed as if the world was caving in on them. The ground trembled again.

  “Is it an earthquake? The elders have said the Big One, whatever that means, could happen during our lifetime, but is that what’s happening? Are we going to drop into the sea?”

  “We have to start moving!” someone shouted, causing the crowd to panic more.

  “No one leaves here. The elders will come. Please, we have to stay calm or this will only get worse,” Phoenix hollered above the crowd.

  Suddenly, the mass quieted as they heard a distant rumbling. Phoenix looked up at the ominous clouds threatening to release their fury. Lightning streaked across the dark surface before thunder rumbled right above them. The situation quickly escalated, and Phoenix didn’t think she was going to be able to keep the group calm much longer.

  “Come on, John. You have to get here. Where are you?” Phoenix whispered, trying to send out a mental message to her brother. He’d been gone for so long, but he’d feel this was happening. He had to have known it was coming. He’d show up — she had no doubt about it.

  Just as a torrential rainfall began, headlights turned the corner and a long line of trucks pulled up. To Phoenix’s relief, she saw Jayden and Brian jump from the lead truck.

  “Phoenix, I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner,” he called as he rushed to her side and gathered her in his arms.

  “I’m so happy you made it back. I didn’t know what to do,” she cried as she snuggled into his chest. Before she could get comfortable, he pulled back and looked at her with a smile. He wasn’t able to hide the fear in his eyes. If he was frightened, it was for her safety, not his own. Her panic rose to an unknown level.

  “I want to do nothing but hold you, but we have to get out of here, now!”

  Jayden turned to the crowd, who were shouting out questions, and he held up his hand, instantly causing the noise to die down.

  “We have to leave right now. John has secured a train, but we need to get off of this island. It’s going to be a miserable ride, but it’s our only option. This storm is growing worse, and I think within a few hours this island is going to be at the bottom of the sea. If you all listen to what we say, we can make it out of here. We’re going to load you into the back of the trucks, pack as many as we possibly can into each one. The wounded need to be placed in the front of the vehicles. Help them first before climbing in the back. You’ll be wet, cold, and miserable, but you’ll survive. Everyone move, now!”

  At the end of Jayden’s words, the crowd stood frozen for a minute, before erupting into a mass of movement as they crowded around the vehicles. Phoenix lost track of Jayden as she helped the injured into the trucks. As soon as one filled, it took off down the road, the pounding rain soaking the occupants huddled together in the open back, while the cries of the injured could be heard from the front seats.

  Not knowing how much time passed, Phoenix kept working until the last of the injured were loaded up as comfortably as possible, then she turned, surprised to find only a handful of people left.

  “It’s time to go,” Jayden said as he laid a hand on her shoulder. Phoenix was afraid to stop moving, afraid to let her mind absorb what was happening. Jayden lifted her in his arms as he carried her to the last truck and climbed into the back, wedging them against the cab and shielding her body with his own.

  Sadie and Brian were soon next to them, and then the final people left in their camp boarded the truck, filling the large bed with a very quiet crowd.

  Jayden tapped the roof of the truck and it pulled onto the road. A flash of lightning zipped through the sky, flashing down and splitting a tree that several people had been milling under while trying to keep some of the driving rain off them.

  Phoenix watched in horror as the giant pine split in half and fell to the ground. How many lives would that have taken if they were still there? She didn’t want to think about it. They flew down the highway, puddles splashing against the side of the truck, throwing even more water on the already soaked group.

  No one tried to talk. The ground trembled again, rocking the truck, making it swerve a little before the driver managed to gain control again. They were the last truck off of the island. The back window of the cab was open and she heard the call over the radio.

  The other safety points had been cleared. They’d lost less than a hundred people. It was still a great loss, but not as bad as it could’ve been.

  “You need to get off that island now, Steve! The bridge doesn’t look good.” Phoenix turned to stare inside the cab of the truck as the order was shouted over the radio. What did he mean, the bridge didn’t look good? They were about a mile from it. Was it going to crumble, leaving them stranded to fall into the sea?

  “Move faster,” Jayden shouted, and Steve floored the gas pedal, swerving to avoid branches blown into the road and giant potholes that were suddenly opening up as the ground shook more intensely.

  “Is this an earthquake?” Phoenix asked, shouting to be heard over the thunder and the roar of the wind.

  “Yes, and it looks as if it’s just getting started,” Jayden said as his arms tightened around her. Phoenix knew he could protect her, lift her in his arms and carry them away from the crash if the truck was to start plummeting to the bottom of the sea, but she could never let that happen. She couldn’t live at the expense of her best friend and all of the others sitting next to her with frightened eyes.

  The rain mixed with tears on her face, the taste of salt dripping on her lips. She might have to accept that they weren’t going to make it. It might be her time to perish. She wasn’t the chosen one. Devon had gotten that wrong. It wasn’t her. She was far too weak.

  Steve turned the truck around a corner and they saw the bridge, their escape route, swaying in the strong wind. Without slowing, Steve hit the bridge at full speed, trying to outrun the inevitable fall of the large cement structure. Cracks were starting to open in the construction, and the people in the back of the truck held on to each other as they were bounced around, one person flying up in the air, almost thrown from the truck until another grabbed her and held on tightly.

  A large cracking sound filled the air and Phoenix looked behind her, seeing the crevice start to open down the middle of the bridge. It was starting to give out. The truck was moving as fast as it could go, and still they might not make it.

  “Hold on,” Steve yelled and everyone bent down, pulling together as they wrapped arms around each other and said a prayer. The truck lurched as it launched over something, all four wheels rising from the ground. Someone screamed as the truck tilted, the occupants starting to slide to the right. Just a bit more and they’d all be thrown out.

  Right when Phoenix felt Jayden tense as if he was getting ready to pull her out, the truck slammed onto the ground and spun in a full circle, before coming to a stop.

  They all looked back in horror as the bridge crumbled into the sea below. A few seconds more and they would’ve tumbled down with it. The truck started moving again, picking up speed as they moved quickly down the road, taking away their view of the destroyed bridge.

  Life was certainly fragile — Phoenix found that out more every day. They were lucky to have made it off of that island, lucky to get another chance. The storm was still raging around them, but somehow Phoenix had managed to place herself in an imaginary bubble. She tuned out the crying and the cold, the fear and the pain, and focused on the warmth and the light.

  One minute she felt she was going to die — that nothing could be done to stop it — and the next minute she was filled with unbelievable peace. They were going to make it to that train — she was sure of it.

  She had no idea h
ow much time passed, but suddenly they were pulling to a stop and there was a group of men opening the tailgate of the truck and helping people out. Everyone was freezing, hurt, some of them bleeding, but no one complained as they were led into a large building.

  Jayden never removed his arm from around Phoenix as he led her inside the dark, unused train depot. They never stopped, just moved through it and then out the other door where a huge Amtrak train was lit up, most of the cars already filled with people.

  “We need to get moving!” someone called out, which spurred their group to pick up their pace. They were led to one of the cars, and Jayden lifted her in his arms and carried her inside.

  The warmth of the car shocked Phoenix as Jayden carried her straight to the back and found an empty bench. He sat down and cradled her in his lap. She drifted in and out of consciousness as the reality of the situation settled in and she went into shock. At some point someone covered her and Jayden with a blanket.

  She was able to open her eyes long enough to see Sadie wrapped in Brian’s arms in the seat next to hers. Knowing that her best friend was okay relieved Phoenix’s mind enough to finally let go. She closed her eyes and fell into an exhausted sleep, Jayden’s comforting hands stroking along her back.

  Most of the passengers had passed out and didn’t hear the terrible rumbling as the earth split behind them, dropping the West Coast into the ocean, taking more lives into its deep core, and changing the shape of America. None of them saw how close the giant wave came to them, just missing their train as they raced east on tracks that they prayed weren’t damaged, because they couldn’t slow down.

  The earth was literally crumbling at their feet, but unknown to most of them, they had a horde of guardian angels with their wings spread to push them a little bit faster, to take them closer to safety.

  Their mission wasn’t over — not by a long shot.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  *** Phoenix ***

  Phoenix woke up, her muscles stiff and aching and her stomach growling for food. She hoped they had food aboard the train. The car she was in was quiet and Jayden was nowhere to be seen. She looked across the seat and found Sadie lying across the two seats next to her, Brian also gone.

  “Sadie, are you awake?”

  “I am now,” Sadie grumbled as she groggily sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

  It was pitch black outside, no sign of the moon or stars, just what seemed to be endless night on the other side of their windows.

  “Let’s see if we can find some dry clothes and food. I’m still damp and my stomach won’t quit growling.”

  “Now that you say that, I’m starving too. Let’s go,” Sadie said.

  The two girls quietly walked through the car, being careful not to wake any of the sleeping passengers. They moved from one car to the next, searching for the dining car.

  “Remember that ride we took on the train when we were little? I was so creeped out going in between the cars. I have to admit it still kind of creeps me out,” Sadie said as the door closed behind them and they were in the middle of two cars.

  “Thanks for bringing that up. Now, I’m creeped out too.”

  The two girls quickly entered the next car. Taking a few steps in, they heard a scratching sound coming from somewhere.

  “What in the heck was that? It sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard,” Sadie said as they looked around the interior.

  “I’m sure it was just someone’s foot scraping below their seat.”

  Still, Phoenix had a bad feeling. Her stomach tightened as she looked around the dark area. A woman was waking up in the middle of the train, stretching her arms above her head, when she turned toward the window and then let out a piercing scream, causing the entire car full of passengers to wake up in a panic.

  Phoenix turned to the woman’s window, then froze when she saw glowing red eyes looking in at the woman sitting there.

  They were under attack . . . again.

  “Get out of there!” Phoenix hollered as she tried to make her feet move in the woman’s direction. Before she was able to take a single step, the glass shattered, sending a blast of cold air ripping through the car.

  The woman yelled again, and then went silent as whatever was on the other side of her window reached in and pulled her out. No one moved for a stunned moment as they gaped at the open window.

  When a claw came through the opening, followed by a green tinted body, everyone leapt all at once from their seats and ran for the nearest exit. Phoenix grabbed Sadie’s hand and tugged her backward. They had to get out of there fast.

  “Let’s go,” Phoenix shouted when Sadie seemed unable to move. Phoenix wouldn’t leave her behind.

  Her voice pulled Sadie from her trance and the girls ran back the way they’d come, rushing through the next car, hollering at the people to wake up and run, that they were under attack. They didn’t take time to stop, wanting to get as far from the other car as possible. They had to find Jayden.

  After they left their car, and before they could enter the next one, an arm tore through the dense fabric protecting the opening between the two cars and grabbed Phoenix’s arm. Before Sadie could grab her, Phoenix felt herself being pulled up onto the top of the train.

  Sadie stood frozen to the spot as she watched her best friend get ripped out of the train, her heart hammering as she looked around, trying to find a way to get to her.

  “Jayden!” she shouted, knowing there was no possible way for him to hear her, but she couldn’t let anything happen to Phoenix.

  Jacob came running through the door in front of her, stopping at what must be sheer panic on Sadie’s face.

  “We have to go, Sadie. It’s not safe right here. We’re trying to get to the elders who are having a meeting in the last car. I don’t know how many of them are on board now,” Jacob urged as he grabbed Sadie’s hand.

  “They got Phoenix. They pulled her on top of the train.”

  “What? Are you sure?”

  “Yes, she was just with me. We have to help.”

  “You’re not going up there. I’ll go after her,” Jacob said as he located a metal ladder built into the wall and started climbing to the top of the train. Sadie waited for a few seconds and then followed him. There was no way she was standing idly by while something could be killing Phoenix. She was one of her protectors, wasn’t she? She’d find out that night if they’d made a mistake in their choices or not.

  With no regard for her own safety, she climbed the ladder, trying to see into the blackness which direction they could have gone. She heard a scream to her right, so she jumped on the moving car and fought the wind as she moved toward the shouting.

  “Phoenix, where are you?” she screamed, the sound being carried away by the wild wind.

  “No!”

  That was Phoenix’s voice for sure. She was getting closer. The train hit some kind of bump and Sadie felt her feet lift from the roof, her heart thundering as she slipped on the slick surface. She couldn’t take time to be afraid or Phoenix could end up dying.

  “No, Jacob. Stay back,” Phoenix shouted, then a growl echoed off of the canyon walls, the sound angry and frightening beyond anything Sadie could ever imagine.

  “I’m a warrior, I can do this. I have nothing to fear,” Sadie chanted out loud as she continued moving in the direction of the voices.

  Just then, the clouds parted, revealing a bright, full moon lighting up the scene before her. At least someone from the light seemed to be helping them. It would help a whole lot more if they sent down a few angels.

  “Let her go,” Jacob shouted as he closed in on the beast that had thrown Phoenix over its shoulder. The demon turned back and growled again, showing its massive teeth to Jacob, staking his claim on Phoenix.

  “Jacob, please go. You have to find Jayden,” Phoenix pleaded, but it was too late. Jacob reached them and pulled out his knife, stabbing the demon in the back, causing it to drop
Phoenix on the top of the car as it turned around and threw its head back, letting out a horrific sound of rage.

  “Run!” Jacob shouted at Phoenix, who didn’t argue with him. She grabbed his hand and started running in Sadie’s direction. Sadie didn’t know what to do. She stood there in horror as the demon started after her two friends.

  “Run faster, it’s catching up to you,” Sadie warned, causing Phoenix’s head to snap up as she realized Sadie was there.

  “Go, Sadie, now!” Phoenix commanded as they got one car away and leapt over to the next car. Sadie’s heart thundered when Phoenix stumbled, nearly pulling herself and Jacob right over the edge.

  “It’s right behind you,” Sadie warned again, but it was too late. The demon caught them and grabbed Jacob. Phoenix tried to hold on, but Jacob threw her hand off, giving her a chance.

  “Go now. Don’t make this for nothing,” were Jacob’s last words before the demon’s head came down and bit into Jacob’s throat, causing blood to spray out of him and his body to twitch a couple of times before he went limp in the demon’s arms.

  “Phoenix, hurry,” Sadie called, snapping Phoenix out of her temporary paralysis. She ran toward Sadie, tears and fear plastered on her face.

  The demon was momentarily distracted by its newest human meal, giving the girls time to scale down the ladder and rush back into a car. They didn’t stop running when they heard another window shatter and the sound of more demons coming after them. They wouldn’t give up until they were no longer breathing.

  As the hot air of the beast’s breath blew across the back of Sadie's neck, there was an eerie screaming sound, followed by a hard jarring sensation, and she was sure her life was coming to an end.

  The two girls were lifted off their feet as the car they were racing through was forced into the air and began to flip over. Without realizing what she was doing, Sadie threw out her hands, her fingers gripping the side of the walls of the doomed train, and felt heat flowing through her body.