I feel something else above me. Heat.
Other than Devlin’s heat ray, this is the only other heat I have felt in such a long time that it feels kind of nice on my sore and aching limbs. Then what is causing the heat, dawns on me.
Oh, crap.
I’ve got to hurry.
My throat is burning, and I can taste blood in my mouth now.
Hang in there. Keep going, keep going.
As some of my hair falls in my face, I see that some of it is turning a snowy white.
I frown and shake the hair out of my face and stare sideways at the darkening sky.
The heat begins to intensify above me.
I’m so tired that I’m crying. I can’t help it.
The tears freeze on my cheeks, and some begin to freeze in the air as it falls from my eyes.
The pipes feel like their breaking through my skin now.
A jagged pipe is slowly making its way into my lower ribs on the right hand side. Hot searing pain is snaking its way up to my brain.
I push harder, flying upwards, and try to go faster.
I don’t know how much more I can take. My brain is now registering the pain, but I feel so numb all over that it fills me with relief to feel something. Anything is better than nothing.
My crystalized tears are beginning to float in the air next to me now. I take a deep breath, hold it, and push on upwards.
The weight above me begins to lessen, and with one last effort, I shove the reactor building upwards, and let go.
When it doesn’t fall back down, I close my eyes briefly, before watching as it drifts slowly away.
Damn, it’s floating away too slowly.
I fly towards the building and press my burned hands up and fly in a straight line, just pushing with my hands now. With the lower gravity, it’s a hell of a lot easier now.
God, I’m so tired. I feel my energy draining away from me with every second.
With my breath held, I fly it into space, and when I see the blue glow of our atmosphere on the horizon to my left and right, I know I’ve got this thing beat.
With one last push, I hurl the steaming building towards open space.
It floats away at a greater speed, as red spots begin to dance across my vision.
I need air, soon. I’m about to turn around, when there’s a blinding flash of light.
I shield my eyes with my hands and turn my head away. I’m hit by chunks of masonry and metal, and some molten grey material which sticks to my arms and burns me.
I look at where the reactor building had been a few seconds ago. A mass of debris is floating away from where it was. As more spots appear before my eyes, some of the debris begins to move in a different direction. I feel something pulling at me.
I watch as debris starts to float quickly towards where the explosion occurred.
What the hell?
The pulling sensation is getting stronger. I turn around and I fly back towards Earth.
I’m not moving. I begin to panic. I must have air, now!
The huge beautiful blue planet is starting to blur in front of me. I blink, and now I see two Earths. I fly harder and faster, but I still feel myself being pulled backwards.
I’m so tired, and now I’m fighting for my life with some unseen force.
I’m still being yanked backwards, when a satellite crashes into me and passes over my shoulder.
I feel like I’m drowning. I do the only logical thing I can do. I stop resisting.
I’m dragged back even more violently now, like someone’s tied my feet to a car and are dragging me behind them.
My vision swims and the Earth begins to spin, or I do.
I’m so tired.
My eyes begin to close, and I don’t have the strength to fight it anymore. I close my eyes.
Sweet oblivion.
Twenty Nine
I feel something wet hit my forehead. I feel it again, like something is dripping on me. I gradually open my eyes.
It’s dark, either that or my vision is messed up. I try to rub my eyes, but my arms are trapped. I turn my head and look down.
It’s not dark. My vision is obscured by huge chunks of masonry, which are piled up all around me.
One large slab lies on my tummy, which is pinning my arms to the ground. I turn my head and look to my right and left.
I can see a small sliver of light several yards away. Motes of dust spin and dance in the light.
How did I get here?
Did the building fall on me?
Was there an earthquake?
I try and pull my arms free, and to my amazement, I free them. I grasp the edge of the slab and begin to push up.
“Whoa!” I blurt out when the concrete slab crumbles in my hands.
I stand up, but there’s more concrete and steel blocking my way. I press my hands against the steel girder and push. It moves easily, and the concrete is pushed to one side.
“Huh?” I push a half demolished wall out of the way and it topples over, then I step into the light.
How did I do that?
Ow, my head hurts like hell. I feel hot too.
I try to focus my eyes, but everything is a bit blurry. I rub my eyes and take a deep breath. My eyes start to focus, and I take in my surroundings.
The building that I find myself in is completely destroyed. Only a few walls remain. I turn around, and behind me stands a mountain of rubble and steel.
What happened here, and why am I unhurt?
Wait, am I hurt?
I look down and check myself, now that I can see properly.
Whoa. Why am I naked?
Not a scrap of clothing is covering me.
I walk quickly to a wall and cover my breasts with my left arm, while I blink and look around me. I feel blood rushing to my cheeks as I poke my head out from behind the wall and check the street.
“Oh my god.” I mutter as I stare blankly. There is no street.
The asphalt is cracked and broken in so many places that you can’t really call it a street. Where the asphalt is gone, grass and bushes blossom. A small blue bird flutters down and lands on the ground and starts pecking at the ground near one of the bushes.
Some large rectangular objects encrusted with rust and moss litter the area. What’s left of a building opposite, has the end of a fire engine sticking out of the fourth floor.
I pinch myself quickly.
“Ow.” Okay, I’m not dreaming. But what the hell happened here?
Some water drops from my forehead on to my nose, and I wipe it away. My hand comes away grey and dirty. I half crouch, half crawl to a large puddle of water near one of the rusted out vehicles. I kneel down and scoop some water and rinse the dust and grime from my face.
I let the water drip from my face, then I catch my reflection in the water. My long hair is white, like snow. I like my face. Slender nose, nice eyebrows and long eyelashes.
Whoa, my eyes look strange.
They’re an aquamarine blue, which I find pretty, but the fact that they are glowing brightly, is unnerving.
Are they supposed to do that?
I look down at myself again. What the hell happened to my clothes?
I cover my breasts again with my left arm and begin to half crouch, half walk to the building opposite. The doors to the entrance are long gone. Mold covers the steps, which feels soft and spongy beneath my bare feet as I head inside.
The place feels like a tomb. The only sound I can hear are the birds outside, and the occasional groan of metal somewhere high above me. The ground floor has several rooms, and I search them all.
All I find are squirrels, raccoons and lots of bird poop. I head back outside. I stand, look up and down what’s left of the street, and let out a sigh.
Am I the only person here?
I spy a clothing store a few hundred feet up the street from where I am. After another quick look around, I walk quickly out from the building.
I check the ground for any sharp metal
or broken glass, as I head towards the store window. A flock of pigeons suddenly erupt from a building roof just off to my right, making me jump and bang into one of the rusted out cars. It makes an audible clang and slides several feet.
“Stupid birds!” I mutter as they whirl overhead, before flying above the buildings to my left and out of sight.
Damn it, they scared the crap out of me.
I take a few breaths, then continue on towards the store front window.
I feel so hot. Beads of sweat are starting to trickle down my forehead. I wipe them away with the back of my hand as I tread carefully along the cracked street.
I see some mannequins standing in various poses in the window display. I hear the crunch of stone on stone, and stop and crouch behind a red rusted car.
My headache throbs painfully as I try and peek through the car windows. They’re covered in green gunk and dirty as hell.
I lie down on the moss covered street and peer beneath the car.
I see a few hundred yards, before my vision is blocked by a thorny bush that’s covered in small white flowers.
To the left of that, I can see a few more yards, then there’s a broken track of a tank. A scraggy looking ginger cat steps out from behind the bush cautiously, stops and licks it’s paw before rubbing it’s left ear. I breathe a sigh of relief and chuckle to myself.
The cat’s ears twitch, then it walks quickly towards the tank and disappears from sight. I get up and walk calmly towards the store window. One of the female mannequins is wearing a long white dress with a thick red belt around the waist. It looks a bit big for me, as I compare my reflection to the dress.
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” A girl’s voice says behind me.
“Aaghh!” I gasp as I turn and cover myself as best as I can. “Where the hell did you come from?” I ask in a high voice.
“Why are you naked?” The small girl asks, then looks intently at my face. “You look a little pale. Are you alright?” She asks after a few seconds.
Now that I’ve recovered enough, I begin to look around.
Is she alone?
The girl is small, well, smaller than I am. I guess she might be around twelve years old, maybe younger. She’s wearing a thick brown jacket with black pants and plum colored running shoes. She tilts her head to one side, making her long blond ponytail swing slightly behind her.
“Where are your parents?” I ask sternly.
She shrugs. “Where’s yours?” She asks and stares up at me with her big blue eyes.
“Are you with anyone?” I ask.
She shrugs, then points at the store window. “Do you want it?” She asks and scoops up a rock from the ground. “Go ahead. Take it.” She says and hurls the rock at the glass behind me.
“Geez, girl.” I complain as I back away from the falling glass.
“There you go.” The girls says happily.
I frown down at her, then shrug and grab the dress from the mannequin and slip it on.
It’s a bit too long and drags on the ground, so I bend down and tear a few inches off all around.
“Very pretty.” The little girl says and nods her head in approval.
“Who are you, kid?” I ask.
“I’m Abigail.” She says and smiles.
“Hi, Abigail. I’m......” I think, but my mind goes blank.
“So, who are you?” Abigail asks when I stare off into space for a few seconds.
“You know what, Abigail? I have no idea.” I say, dumbstruck.
To Be Continued...
About the author
Hi, I’m R S J Gregory, or Roger to my friends.
First, a big thank you for purchasing and reading my book.
I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
If you did enjoy it, then please submit a review on Amazon. Reviews are so important, and I would really like to hear from you.
A little about myself?
Well, I was born in Bristol, England in 1973, and I currently live in Essex, England with my wife and young daughter.
I have travelled quite a bit, particularly throughout the United States.
I love Hawaii.
The idea for Cosmic Girl happened back in 2008. I had just recovered from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and when I had that cancer scare, it really made me think about the things that I haven’t yet achieved.
After reading The Twilight Saga, and Breaking Dawn in particular, I decided to take the plunge. Was there a book inside of me, waiting to get out?
Actually, it turns out there are quite a few books.
Cosmic Girl: Looking For Trouble, is the second novel in this series. If you haven’t already, please check out the first novel, Cosmic Girl: Rising Up, and check out the third novel in this series, Cosmic Girl: Lost & Found.
Sign up to my New Releases mailing list and get a free copy of my short story - The Awakening. Click here to get started: http://rsjgregory.com/free-short-story/
You can find me on www.Facebook.com/RSJGregory, and you can follow me on www.Twitter.com/rsjgregory, and also on www.Instagram.com/r.s.j.gregory.
Many thanks, and watch the skies, Cosmic Girl will return.
Cosmic Girl: Looking For Trouble: superhero series for young adults - Book Two Page 23