Phoenix Burning

by Anne, Melody

  The group stood back to watch Brian climb. He made it about ten feet off the ground before he lost his grip and fell, landing on the soft earth. The elders had layered the area with extra moss, grass, and soil. Phoenix had a feeling they were all going to get plenty of bruises over the next few weeks, but they’d be trained well.

  “Who wants to go next?” John asked as Brian walked over to Sadie, while rubbing his tender backside.

  “My turn,” Sadie said, springing over to the rope and grabbing hold of it.

  “Be careful,” Brian called, and Sadie glared in response. She wasn’t a preppy little girl who was afraid of a few bumps and bruises. She definitely didn’t want to be coddled. Brian would either back off or face her irritation for the rest of the day. He held his hands up in surrender and Sadie gave him a forgiving smile.

  “You two are just so cute,” Leah said. Everyone laughed when Sadie’s face turned red, and Brian puffed out his chest in exaggeration.

  Sadie made it up about six feet before her arms were shaking and she gave up the fight. She landed much more gracefully than Brian, and gave him a Cheshire cat smile.

  “Okay, you win,” Brian said, bending over to give her a quick kiss. John threw darts with his eyes at the two of them. John hated the reminder that Phoenix and Sadie kissed their boyfriends. He’d forever look at them like they were barely out of puberty.

  “The first obstacle course is ready, John. Why don’t you lead your group through it so we can see if any adjustments need to be made,” someone called.

  “Sounds great, Frank. Come on, guys, let’s show ’em how it’s done,” John said.

  Phoenix followed them over to the start of the course and looked at it warily. It started with a belly crawl underneath wire and netting. Imagining all the creepy crawlies that might be under there sent her heart racing. She couldn’t see the rest of the course and looked uneasily at Sadie. The guys were going to love torturing them as much as possible.

  “Are you chickening out, Phoenix?” Brian goaded her. He seemed to be getting a bit of payback for her taking Sadie away in the cave.

  “Not at all, Brian, but if you need to sit this one out, we can show you how it’s done. My big girl panties say it’s a piece of cake,” Phoenix said with an innocent smile. He laughed as he gave her a one-armed hug, then kissed Sadie on the cheek, before dropping to his belly and following John onto the course.

  “Let’s do this, Phoenix,” Sadie said, dragging Phoenix to the ground with her. They traveled on their bellies through the tight space. Phoenix felt something land on her face and nearly jumped out of her skin.

  “What in the heck is that?” she shouted to Sadie, who picked up her pace.

  “I think they’re throwing things at us. I don’t even want to know what it is,” Sadie said. Neither girl wasted any more time talking as they quickly crawled, trying to find the end of the long passage. They made it out and Phoenix felt something crawling on her head. She let out a screech and Sadie reached up and pulled a worm from her messy hair.

  Sadie tossed it aside and they both started jumping and shaking their heads in hopes that anything else on them would quickly fall. They gave each other a visual inspection, looking like a couple of monkeys combing each other’s heads for bugs. When they were reassured, they gathered courage to face the next challenge.

  “This isn’t quite as much fun as I thought it would be,” Sadie said, running her hands through her hair again.

  “Yeah, I can’t believe they were throwing bugs on us. What the heck kind of training is that? Are they trying to see how much torture we can endure?” Phoenix asked with another shudder.

  “I don’t know, but they’re probably behind those bushes over there, laughing. Let’s try not to let them see how much they’re affecting us. We’re so not going to end up being the quivering little girls of this group,” Sadie said with determination.

  “Agreed. We’ll wait until tonight, then we can freak out together in the privacy of my room,” Phoenix said. They saw the arrow pointing to the next event and walked in that direction, shaking on the inside, but looking brave to anyone who was watching. They heard screams coming from the tunnel behind them and felt sorry for Leah. They knew it wasn’t Cassidy — she was as brave as John.

  Brian and John were nowhere to be seen and must’ve been ripping through the course. They stepped forward and found a large wall with rocks jutting from it. It had to be twenty feet high and if they fell from it, they were going to feel it all through their bodies.

  “You go first, and I’ll spot you. Once you’re at the top, hang on tight and I’ll climb up,” Phoenix said. Sadie looked at her dubiously, but started climbing the wall.

  “It’s not bad, Phoenix. Just take your time and make sure you have a good hand hold before you move your feet,” Sadie called when she was about halfway up. Phoenix didn’t really believe her but she might as well start.

  She moved slowly up the wall, finding that Sadie was right. She never really knew with Sadie. Phoenix would never forget the time she was spending a weekend at Sadie’s and Sadie’s dad had ordered anchovy pizza.

  Phoenix had asked Sadie if the anchovies were good. Sadie stuffed one in her mouth and as she chewed it, her expression was of pure ecstasy. Phoenix put one in her mouth and the saltiness of the small fish was enough to make her want to vomit.

  Phoenix glared as Sadie spat hers out as fast as possible. Sadie laughed at Phoenix’s disgusted expression and said there was no way she was taking a bite without Phoenix having to experience the horrible taste as well. Since then, she’d realized that being best friends meant that if one was being tortured, the other was pulling her along for the ride, best friend rules. Lucky for Sadie, the climb wasn’t difficult, or Phoenix was prepared to give her a bruise on her arm that she’d never forget.

  Sadie encouraged Phoenix from the top once she reached it. Phoenix made sure not to look down to prevent panic. It looked as if the elders were creating obstacles they might have to deal with in battle and putting them in situations where they’d have to learn to manage their fear.

  “Great job, Phoenix, just a few more feet,” Devon called quietly from the bottom so he wouldn’t startle her. She reached the top and smiled down at him. She’d needed a day like this, a day to test herself and bond with those she loved the most in this world.

  “That was actually a lot of fun,” she said, then waited a moment as she watched him scale the wall. She noticed his muscular arms as he lifted himself higher. She immediately started down the other side, irritated with herself for noticing something like that on another boy. She had a boyfriend, one she loved very much. He’d be back and she wouldn’t taint their love for each other by finding another guy attractive.

  They reached the bottom and Devon was already halfway down. He moved really fast. Phoenix couldn’t help but look up and watch in awe as he quickly descended the huge wall. He jumped down the last eight feet and smiled at the girls.

  “This is great. I hope they have more challenging stuff up ahead,” he said. Phoenix and Sadie were still panting from the effort of not falling from the wall, and he made it look like a casual stroll in the park.

  “Yeah, me too,” Sadie said sarcastically. Devon laughed.

  “Want me to wait for you?” he asked.

  “No, go ahead, we’re fine,” Phoenix quickly answered. He shrugged and took off jogging.

  “What’s going on, Phoenix? You were kind of rude.” Sadie called her on her unusual attitude.

  “I’m just tired,” Phoenix answered with a shrug.

  “I understand that,” Sadie said, and they continued on through several more challenging courses, one of which was walking across ropes over a huge mud pit. Some of the kids didn’t make it all the way across and were covered in mud by the time they reached the end.

  The entire course took a couple hours, and Phoenix was exhausted by the end. She was irritated to find John, Brian, and Devon all j
oking with each other at the end like they weren’t the least worn out. By the time the rest of their team joined them, it was time for lunch. The group went inside, the boys full of laughter and goodwill while the girls were dragging their feet. It was going to be a very long day.

  They spent the rest of the afternoon with John torturing them in every way he could think of. If they weren’t running, they were lifting or climbing. They spent the entire afternoon with a constant sheen of sweat covering their bodies.

  By the time they dragged themselves inside the caves at the end of the day, Phoenix could barely move. Sadie was limping by her side. Luckily, the guys were distracted by helping pick up supplies and weren’t watching the girls’ embarrassing walk of shame.

  “I think they are trying to kill us,” Sadie moaned.

  “They are definitely seeking our demise. I don’t think I’ve ever been so sore. And just wait for day three — your muscles soreness peak on day three. Ugh . . .” Phoenix answered, while stumbling. She was so tired she struggled to remain upright. They headed straight to the kitchen and could barely carry their trays to the table.

  “I don’t know if I can lift my fork,” Sadie grumbled.

  “I won’t survive if training is going to be this hard every single day. I don’t know how I’m going to get up now that I’ve sat down. The more I relax, the stiffer my muscles get,” Phoenix complained. She held her spoon loosely and took a sip of soup. It was the greatest thing she’d ever tasted. She moaned in pleasure. She was starving after the intense workout all day.

  “John promised every day won’t be so bad,” Sadie said, looking to Phoenix for confirmation. She was worried at how tired she was though.

  “We could always go on strike,” Phoenix assured her.

  “No way. I’ll never admit to the guys how badly I hurt,” Sadie said with a stubborn glint in her eyes.

  “Agreed,” Phoenix said reluctantly.

  “Besides that, if we can’t get through a day of training, how in the world could we possibly be in a battle for days or weeks on end? We have to get stronger,” Sadie said.

  “You’re absolutely right. We can’t sit here complaining. That doesn’t help us or our team.”

  “Hey, girls, how ya feeling?” Devon asked as he plopped down next to Phoenix. She wanted to glare at him — he didn’t look a bit sore. But she wasn’t going to do that.

  “Great — that was a lot of fun,” Phoenix answered, forcing herself to straighten. The rest of their group joined them, and luckily the guys were so excited about the day they didn’t notice the lack of conversation from the girls.

  “I need a bath. I feel like every piece of dirt in the woods has permanently attached to me,” Sadie said with a laugh. Only Phoenix saw the twinge on her face from the contraction of her stomach muscles.

  “Me too. Let’s ditch these guys,” Phoenix said with a smile as she took a deep breath and held it while her leg and butt muscles contracted to support her standing. It took tremendous effort to get up in one smooth motion. The girls walked from the table and made it around the corner before they slumped against the wall. They limped to the bathroom and sank deep into the tub, moaning in pleasure. When they finally looked at each other, they couldn’t help but laugh.

  “We’re really pathetic, you know that, right?” Sadie gasped.

  “I know,” Phoenix said. They stayed in the tub until they were almost falling asleep, then felt better as they walked back to their rooms. Both of them fell asleep within minutes of their heads hitting their pillows.

  They had to get stronger, but it wasn’t going to happen overnight. It was a good thing neither of them were quitters.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The team began a regular schedule of morning exercises, stretching, and strengthening their bodies, while in the afternoons they ran so much, Phoenix knew her legs were going to give out on her and fall off. The elders even made a weight-lifting area where they used wood as makeshift barbells and worked on gaining more muscle mass.

  Each night the group went to the hot springs to soak their aching bodies. Phoenix and Sadie were happy that after a few days, the guys were hurting quite a bit too. John made sure to push them to their limits.

  After a few weeks, the soreness started to fade, and Phoenix felt her strength building. She was excited to find exercises, seemingly impossible in the beginning, becoming easier with each passing day. Her confidence grew as time passed.

  Sadie looked amazing with her newly defined arms and powerful legs. Both girls were now running farther and lifting more weight. They were prepared for whatever the future had in store. It helped having complete faith in their team members and their captain.

  Without them realizing it, a month went by. They had regular meetings, sometimes daily with the elders and sometimes just as a team. They performed many trust-building tasks as well as strength and weapons training. John insisted communication was as important as everything else.

  “What do you think the meeting is about tonight?” Sadie asked Phoenix as they headed to the hall.

  “I don’t know. I’ve seen other groups heading off to talk secretly. John said this was important,” Phoenix answered. She had a feeling she knew, but she didn’t want to admit it and jinx the situation.

  “We’d better hurry. John hates it when he has to wait for us,” Sadie said and picked up her pace. They entered the hall and were bummed to find they were once again the final two to arrive. They quickly sat and John raised his brow but bit his tongue about their tardiness. He started speaking right away.

  “You’re all doing great. I knew we’d make an excellent team, but you’ve exceeded my expectations. The time is almost here when we leave the cave. We’re going to be gone for a long time. We have a lot of ground to travel. Remember this feeling of success in you now, and we’ll be invincible. There are so many lives we’ll save. Thank you for your extreme dedication throughout training.”

  “How soon, John?” Brian asked.

  “I don’t know the exact day yet, but the elders are getting everything ready. We’ll be doing a few things differently until it’s time to depart, but we’ll still train,” he answered.

  “Are we going on our own or with other groups?” Leah asked. Phoenix smiled at the girl who’d been so shy when she’d first come to the caves. She was now strong and confident. It was great to see how successful the training was. It focused on so much more than their bodies. They were physically, mentally, and emotionally stronger in so many ways.

  “I don’t have all the answers for you. I’ll talk to the elders tonight and then tomorrow we’ll meet again, and I’ll tell you everything I know. Whether we go alone or with another team won’t matter. We’re strong and can handle any tasks that come our way,” John answered.

  Phoenix was frustrated that he didn’t have more answers for them, but at least he let them know they’d be leaving soon. It had been up in the air when they’d begun training. She was getting restless, and she still missed Jayden every day.

  She’d hoped he’d be back before they left, that he’d be at her side as they battled. But maybe it was good that he wasn’t there. She had something to prove to herself. She’d relied on other people for a long time, and during this month of training she’d realized it was good to lean on team members, but it was also good to be a leader.

  She didn’t need anyone protecting her. She needed to be strong on her own. She missed Jayden, and wanted him at her side, but she also wanted to know she didn’t have to have someone to make her whole. She also realized she might never see him again. Maybe he’d left her, or maybe he’d been captured. She thought of him as invincible and didn’t see how anyone could take him. But even the strongest fell at some point. No one was completely invincible.

  “Meeting adjourned. Take the rest of the day off and enjoy yourselves.” John dismissed them. From the expression on his face as he looked at Cassidy, it was apparent he wanted them gone sooner rather
than later. He needed time alone with the woman he loved. That gave her a small ache, but she pushed it aside.

  Phoenix smiled at her brother as she stood and walked over to kiss him on the cheek. She was ready and she knew Sadie was too — as were the rest of the team. She didn’t know what was ahead of them, but she knew they’d be able to defeat any enemy they came across, or at least give them one heck of a thrashing.

  They might have been kicked in the beginning, but they’d had plenty of time to build their strength and come up with a better plan than those who wanted to destroy them. They’d win. For the first time, she knew in her gut they’d win. It wouldn’t be without great loss, but in the end they’d be victorious.

  She just prayed she’d be there to see their victory. And if she could ask for one last thing, it would be that those she loved would be at the finish line as well.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Have you heard anything yet?” John asked Cassidy as they walked into the woods. The longer Jayden was gone, the more worried they both became.

  “He’s blocking me. He promised to never do it again, but I know he’s trying to make sure I don’t interfere. He’s worried about me getting hurt and he doesn’t want us to leave Phoenix alone and vulnerable,” Cassidy replied as she looked into the night sky. She needed help.

  “What are you going to do?” John asked. He already knew the answer, though he didn’t want to accept it.

  “I’m going to find him. He’s in trouble. I can feel it, even though he’s doing his best to mask his pain and anger. I don’t know where he’s being held, but I know Vyco’s got him trapped somewhere. Jayden most likely thinks he’ll catch Vyco off guard and destroy him, but many have tried before and are now dead. I can’t leave him alone and vulnerable.”

  “I don’t want you going alone,” John said, though he knew his words were falling on deaf ears. Nothing would stop him if it was Phoenix out there alone, and they both knew it.