Heat radiated around him, smoke obscured his vision. It billowed into the room, pumped from some unseen source in waves. He coughed as it entered his lungs. There was no way he could find anyone in the mess. He had to get out. He would die if he stayed.
Caleb crouched as low as he could and hurried in the direction he assumed was out. He ran into a wall. Even with it right in front of him, he couldn’t tell where he was. His eyes watered, and his coughing increased in intensity. Behind him, something crashed onto the floor, sending flames into his direction. With his hand on the wall, he moved forward and hoped he headed in the right direction.
The room in front of him distorted, the wall appearing to move in and out as if breathing. Dizziness swept over him, and he stumbled over his feet. He fell to his knees, pain radiated through his thighs and rattled his teeth as he connected with the tiled floor. His head pounded from coughing so hard, his chest felt like it was going to collapse on itself. He placed his hands on the ground to crawl, but instead, he fell forward into darkness.
* * * *
Caleb sat in the middle of the living room and stared at the boards covering the window. It had taken them several hours to secure the house, but Caleb was thankful for the distraction. He was exhausted now; his muscles sore and sweat dried on his body. His dad sprawled out on the floor next to him, his mom sat on the couch, and his sister slumped in the chair.
“Well, that’s done,” Nina panted. “Now what?”
No one had an answer. Silence bathed the room, which was broken by a soft squeaking. It came from Caleb’s mom. She sat on the couch with her face buried in her hands, her shoulders shook. Sorrow squeezed Caleb’s chest, and he jumped from the floor and hurried to his mom’s side. Nina and Dad followed him. They wrapped their arms around Mom, and she did her best to pull all of them close. Her tears continued to fall, but a comfort and strength enveloped the family. His world felt smaller, more manageable. Things were bleak, but he had his mom, dad, and sister to help see him through the hard times—like they always had. It didn’t matter the dead had risen from the grave. Life constantly threw obstacles at them they had to overcome, and they’d been victorious in hardship before. This time would be no different. Caleb squeezed his eyes shut and believed as long as they stayed together, everything was going to be okay.
* * * *
Whispered voices sounded in Caleb’s ears. He couldn’t make out words, so it sounded like static. He cracked open his eyes, and whiteness flooded in. He blinked to clear his vision. His gaze focused on rocks and blue sky. The scent of smoke was still present, but faint. His head pounded, his chest felt like a boulder sat on it. He groaned. The whispers stopped. Caleb attempted to sit up and felt hands on his shoulders. He turned to his left—and immediately thought he was dead.
The girl’s soft brown eyes glistened as she stared at him. Her long black hair blew gently in the breeze, her full lips pulled into a smile. Her tanned skin looked smooth and warm. The desire to feel its warmth under his fingers coursed through him, but he refrained from reaching out to her, afraid if he did she would disappear.
“Just take it easy, Caleb.” Her voice reminded him of bells on Christmas morning, soft and melodic.
It didn’t escape his notice that she knew his name. He wanted to ask her how she knew it, but his throat was raw; he doubted the words would come out.
“Oh, yes, I know who you are, Caleb. My name is Ophelia, and I’m just like you. I’m immune.”
Saving Humanity Series (Book 2): Edge of Humanity Page 18