The Deadly Sun

by H. J. Lawson

  As we speed off in the new morning, the clouds are ripping the sky apart as if they are trying to break free, allowing the sun's rays to shine through, lighting the path for us.

  The sun rises to the middle of the sky, its heat burning down on my raw flesh. I know it's midday, and we are close.

  Thick black smoke bellows up into the beautiful sky.

  Dax slams on the breaks, nearly sending me flying. “Goddamn!”

  As quickly as he stopped, he starts again, swerving sideways and thrashing my body against his.

  “Quick, Hayden, it's a plane, it's heading our way!” I scream, as I see the white object emerge from the black plumes in the sky.

  Dax spins his head around. “Hold on!” He presses a button on the control panel.

  The force of the air pressure yanks me back, my arms struggle to keep my grip on Dax, and luckily they do. We speed off toward the red rock formations, our only protection in the open desert.

  The plane gets closer. They will see us in matter of moments, if they haven't already.

  The bike slows, and then comes to a halt. “Pass me the bag,” Dax orders, as I leap off the seat.

  Dax takes it from me and retrieves two blankets, throwing one over to Hayden.

  “Get up against the bike. Sit down, make yourself small.”

  I do as Hayden says.

  Hayden shakes the blanket; unfolding its full glory. It's painted to blend in with the rocks. Hayden crouches down next to me, nudging me as he does. It's not that easy to make yourself small when you are a muscular male. Dax is sitting by his bike, wrapped up in the blanket.

  With a fling of his arms, the blanket is over us and the bike.

  There are tiny gaps through the coarsely woven materials, giving us mini peep holes to look out of.

  The plane roars above us.

  “It's getting closer, push the blanket under your feet,” Dax hisses.

  As the roar of the engine increases, so does the wind pressure. It's pulling the blanket outwards, like a dome.

  “Hold on!” Hayden yells over the sound of the plane.

  I grit my teeth as I wrap my fingers tightly around the blanket. My knuckles begin to turn white and sweat drips from my forehead. The heat is unbearable.

  Pushing down, I can feel the blanket coming away from under my feet.

  The pressure pulls stronger and my hair whips forward, as the pressure from the plane intensifies.

  I can feel my grip loosening; I'm going to reveal us. Dread fills my stomach as my fingers peel away from the blanket.

  A split second before my fingers lose their grip, the wind forces stop pulling. The plane has passed by.

  Only now the blanket has a reverse effect and it sucks in toward us with a suffocating force.

  “Skylier, you can let go now,” Hayden says after the sky becomes silent.

  Instantly I let go. My arms are burning from holding the blanket and are weak from yesterday's fall. I shake my hands to get the blood flowing again.

  Dax rummages around inside the bag for the radio.

  “Reznor, can you hear me?”

  Nothing but silence follows.

  “We have to go,” Dax orders.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The expansive rock formation is a blur as we drive to the Grounders' settlement.

  A sweet fragrance reaches my nose. As I search for the spot where the scent is coming from, it hits me—the most beautiful sight I have ever seen.

  In front of me is a bright array of flowers, scattered between the lush green grasses, swaying in the afternoon breeze along a winding stream.

  Then the color begins to change and the rocks merge to brown, then to a crisp, fresh green.

  Life isn't just growing here. It is flourishing. There is red, rocky ground with sections of grass sprouting up, with delicate milky-white petals coating it.

  The higher we ride, the greener it gets, and my lungs tighten as the air gets thinner. If we carry on like this we will be able to touch the clouds, and slip into an unknown kingdom and the freedom of afterlife.

  Mud is flying up as Dax and Hayden try to ride through the almost-impossible ground, which has now turned to a thick sludge.

  “We have to go on foot from here,” Dax states, as he pulls the bike to a halt.

  Hayden nods, then shrugs his shoulders in disappointment and smiles over at me. The heat instantly washes over my body; I know my cheeks are turning pink. It's like I've never seen a boy before. Well, Hayden is more like a man, and a good-looking one at that! There is no way he is an original Grounder; he must be a banished Purenet. I wonder what he did—must've been bad to be subjected to all this.

  Quickly I glance at Dax, so Hayden cannot see my glowing cheeks. Unfortunately Dax does, and he gives me a disapproving scowl, just like my father would.

  Damn, give me a break…

  “What about the bikes?” I quickly ask, before I get some smart comment from Dax.

  Dax rolls his eyes.

  He smiles smugly as he continues to push his bike. Turn after turn, the path gets tighter and darker as the sunlight is being blocked by the overhanging rocks. The bikes can only just barely fit through some places.

  Dax steps to the side, and the blazing sunlight crashes into my eyes, blinding me. I swiftly jump back and move my hand up to block the light. My ankle twists on the jagged, uneven ground, as my body jolts in another direction.

  Hayden's arms wrap around my waist, stopping me from landing backwards on the ground.

  His hands don't move; they just stay firm around my waist, longer than necessary. “Sorry,” I add softly.

  He smiles down at me warmly. “Not every day a beautiful girl falls in your arms, is it?” This time, both of our cheeks glow. “Ha...” He lets out a nervous laugh. Maybe he's not as confident as he likes to think. I like him even more now.

  This is the Grounders' home, hidden between the canyons. Their very own oasis surrounded by the forest. I've dreamed about this place, it's like the drawings we are shown at school from before the wars. A place that time forgot.

  I'm excited and nervous all at once. “What the…?” I yell out, as something hits me on the top of the head. Looking up, I see a handful of silhouettes on top of the canyon. It’s the Grounders with guns pointing at Grounders' settlement.

  Peering through the canyon once again, past the beauty of the oasis, the true horror takes its form. Bodies are lying motionless on the ground, and crimson red flows through the stream, down the canyons, and through their settlement.

  We are too late...

  “We had no choice but to run. We were outnumbered; they took Reznor,” one of the Grounders yells down to us, as they make their way through the canyons. Rocks and dust fall with every step they take.

  “Tanis, have the guards gone?” Dax yells frantically.

  “Yeah, they took hostages,” a man Dax called Tanis yells. As he gets closer it's clear to see he’s one of the original Grounders—he was born here, along with the other Grounders he’s with. He’s bigger than Dax and even Hayden, with tattooed and tanned arm muscles trying to break free from their clothing. Dax and Hayden have similar tattoos, an old style of handwriting. Everything about these men is bigger, from their jaw bones to their hands, making their guns appear tiny.

  “What’s he doing here? Reznor banished him,” Tanis says, pointing his gun at Hayden. His guns don’t have the blue glowing light on them like the guns Purenet soldiers have. The black gun looks heavy, yet light in his hand.

  “Not now, Tanis! Did they take Ayah?” Dax asks.

  “We don't know,” Tanis replies, as he jumps down the last section of the canyon. Dax's bike slams to the ground as he drops it, and he takes off sprinting toward the settlement.

  The Grounders take off running behind him.

  “Come on, we need to help them.” Hayden grabs hold of my hand and takes off running, pulling me with him in one swift movement.

  “Ayah... Ayah...!” Dax's voice echoes in t
he valley as he screams for his loved one.

  As we get closer, the sounds of painful groans ring out, making me stop in my tracks. Hayden doesn't stop, but painfully pulls on my arm.

  “Ahh!” I yell out.

  He quickly lets go of my hand and glances back at me. “Sorry, why'd you stop?”

  “I don't want to get sick. I need to get back to my mother,” I selfishly admit.

  “You cannot get sick. Like Dax said, it's from the food. So you're good.” Hayden shrugs his shoulders, a soft smile on his face.

  “Why didn't you?”

  He just stares at me blankly, as if he hasn't questioned why he hadn't gotten sick before. “Guess it's because I'm so strong.” He shrugs. “You'll be fine. I wouldn't have let you come here if I didn't think it was safe for you.”

  “All right, come on then, let's go help,” I add as I take off running.

  Each step I take reminds me of playing in fields as a child, running free. Yet this is the first time I've run on grass.

  The natural, earthy fragrance wanders up my nose and I get lost in the moment as I take in a deep breath, allowing it to fill my lungs. Oh no, the fresh air has been replaced with a nasty odor... like something is rotting. I cover my mouth. This is the smell of death.

  “Help... cough... help... cough,” a tiny voice rings out.

  The stream in front of me is poisoned with red blood as a woman's lifeless body lies face down. She is still holding the knife she must've been using to defend herself.

  Other bodies lie on the ground, not moving, not groaning for help. Where are the cries coming from?

  I stand for a moment with my eyes closed, as I clear my mind.

  There it is....

  It's coming from one of the structures, a type of hut made from the branches—their homes. All scattered around the valley in little groups.

  I start running toward it and the groans instantly get louder. Hayden follows me.

  Taking hold of the rope on the wooden door, I pull it open to reveal people lying on beds, groaning in pain. Survivors of the attack, it appears.

  “The medicine, we need the medicine,” I scream out. Hayden takes off running back to the bikes where the bags are.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Over here, Dax! We need you!” Hayden yells out frantically as he runs back with the bags.

  Dax and Hayden both arrive at the hut at the same time. Some of the other Grounders follow Dax, clearly looking confused and hoping for one of the guys to tell them what to do next.

  “Did you find Ayah?” Hayden asks as he passes Dax the bags.

  Dax begins to speak, then just shakes his head.

  “Dax, they left some of the sick people.” I open the hut door for him to see inside. He glances into the hut, and then begins to rummage through the pack, pulling out the medicine.

  “We need water.”

  “We cannot use the stream. It's got bodies in it,” I tell him.

  “Go to the waterfall. Only collect fresh water.” Dax waves his arms to a group of Grounders. They do as he orders, grabbing buckets as they run off.

  “We need to give everyone one tablet with water,” Dax informs us. We all nod in agreement.

  “Dax... Dax...” a voice mumbles out. We all look at each other, and the remaining Grounders just shrug their shoulders in confusion.

  “The bag.” I take it off him, and pull out the radio.

  “Come out, wherever you are...”

  It's Xander. I instantly drop the radio on the ground, and Dax scrambles to pick it up.

  “I know you are there. Is your precious friend Skylier with you?”

  My heart sinks as he says my name; he knows who I am.

  “Are you entranced by her beautiful face, or your special bond? Come on, you can share your feelings with me. What is family for, after all?”

  Dax's fingers grip around the radio so tightly it looks like it will break in his hands. My stomach twists in knots.

  “Does Ayah know that she’s already been replaced?” Xander asks. I can sense he's smiling as he says it.

  “You leave Ayah alone!” Dax snaps.

  “There you are. You were never very good at hide and seek—always too quick to react.” Xander laughs smugly. “Are your Grounder friends with you? If they are, listen closely, you will be interested in this.”

  The Grounders instantly move closer to the radio, making me feel uncomfortable. Instead of moving closer, I take a step backwards, and Hayden does the same.

  “I will trade your precious leader, Reznor, and his sister Ayah, for my brother Dax and his pretty little friend Skylier. I want them alive.”

  The radio in Dax's hand begins to move as his hand starts to tremble.

  “This is an order from the Chancellor's son. Disobey and you will all die...”

  RUN... Run to the bikes! Dax's voice rings through my mind.

  Dax's eyes are wide and full of fear. The Grounders stand behind Reznor, not Dax. They will trade us.

  Without thinking, I drop the medicine container to the ground, and the pills slip out. “Please, can you help me?” I ask in my girlish voice.

  As the Grounders lower their heads and shoulders to pick up the pills, I take off running as fast as my legs can take me. Hayden and Dax do the same.

  Our bodies react quicker than theirs, but they are faster and stronger than we are. I can hear their feet pounding on the ground.

  “Get to the bikes!” Dax yells as he sprints past me.

  Please don't leave me.

  Never.

  The Grounders are all around me; they will get me within a second. In front of me are barrels of guns.

  Duck... rings through my mind.

  Instantly I do as Dax orders, squatting my body to the ground. I look up as a bullet flies out of his gun. Bang... bang...

  “Arh!” one of the Grounders yells out in pain. No time to look back; I just keep on moving and hide behind Hayden as he stands in front of his bike.

  The Grounders stop running, and their angry, overgrown faces are glaring at us.

  Skylier, get on Hayden's bike! Dax's mind orders.

  Gently I nudge Hayden in his back. He glances over at me, trying not to make any sudden movements. With my eyes, I indicate I need to get onto the bike.

  “Xander is lying, he will kill us all!” Dax yells out loudly, taking us all by surprise. I know it's a decoy, and so does Hayden—we are both on the bike before the Grounders can reply.

  “He's your brother? You are the Chancellor's son?” Tanis’ eyes peer at Dax.

  Oh damn, they didn't know he was the Chancellor’s son. More Grounders start walking toward us after coming back from the waterfall.

  The others are on the way back, we don't have long, I message Dax.

  “Yes, and...?” Dax says confidently, as he steps onto his bike and swipes his finger over the monitor.

  The Grounders take a step closer with the sound of the humming engine. Dax instantly holds the gun up toward them.

  “I have saved each one of your lives,” Dax says as he points the gun toward each of them.

  “They have Reznor!” Tanis replies, letting his rotten yellow teeth show.

  “And Ayah!” Dax snaps. “I will get them back!”

  Go now!

  I squeeze Hayden. “Go,” I whisper in his ear. The bike engine roars to life before I've finished whispering. The wind slams against my face as if I've been slapped.

  “Get them!” growls Tanis.

  Hayden swipes the panel on his bike to go as fast as Dax did on the way here, but now we are fighting the muddy ground and it's pulling us down each time we try to go fast.

  “Dax, we've got to shoot at them!” Hayden yells at Dax with sadness in his voice. Yesterday they were family. Today, we are being hunted by them.

  He's right... they are gaining on us quickly.

  “Hold on to the handlebars,” Hayden orders. He turns with one hand on the bike, the other holding a gun.

  I r
elease my arms from Hayden's waist and grab the handlebars. With my body pressed against his, I can feel each of his muscles through his top.

  A pounding of the gun rips through my ears, and my flesh. A burning pain rips through my shoulder. They shot me! What part of 'alive' did they not understand?!

  Like a lightning bolt, the pain rushes down to my fingers, and the bike weaves to the side as I lose control.

  Hayden's body sways sideways, almost taking me and the bike with him.

  “Hold it in place,” Hayden orders, as he gets back into position.

  “I've been shot, you jerk!”

  He quickly turns and sees the blood seeping from my arm.

  “We'll get you out of here.”

  Hayden continues to shoot, and Dax joins in, round after round firing down at their friends.

  Then silence surrounds us.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Once we are out of the canyon and the valley, Dax and Hayden slow down their bikes.

  “Skylier, they hit you. Are you okay?” Dax rolls up next to us.

  I don't know how to answer; my body has started to feel numb, and my grey dress is stained with blood.

  I just nod my head, but I can feel it's more like a wobble. I am getting weak.

  “What's the plan, Dax?” Hayden asks.

  “We ride to the Cueva. We need supplies, and I have friends who will help us,” I mumble, not sure if I'm making sense.

  Dax squeezes his lips together. “I don't think it will be safe.”

  “We will all die out here without any water, and I'm bleeding to death. Anyone got any other plans?” I ask.

  “She's right,” Hayden says.

  “Can you really trust them?” Dax asks.

  “Yes.”

  “We don't have long; they will all be up soon.” And I don't think I will last much longer... “Over here," I point to the mound surrounding the Cueva, and we run toward it. We've already hidden the bikes to walk the rest of the way; otherwise the Cueva guards would see us. Every part of my body aches in pain. I wish I could just curl up in my bunk and pretend none of this ever happened.