Phoenix Burning

by Anne, Melody

  “I’m right here, Sadie. Can you move?” Phoenix asked as she reached the door. The glass was shattered and Sadie was squished between Brian and Leah. Leah appeared to be knocked out, but Brian and Sadie were both alert.

  “Leah . . . Leah, you need to wake up,” Phoenix said as she gently shook the girl’s shoulder. She knew you weren’t supposed to move a victim of a wreck, but she needed to get Leah off Sadie, so they could all crawl from the truck.

  “I’ll lift her out, Phoenix,” Devon said from behind her, making her jump. She turned and grabbed him in a hug, without even thinking about it.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay,” Phoenix said, relieved that Devon was still with her.

  “I have a lantern,” Jacob said, walking up to them. He had a slight limp, but other than that, he seemed okay. “I can’t find Scott. Here, Phoenix, hold this light for Devon. I’m going to look for him.” He thrust the lantern at her and she held it inside the truck, relieved to see Sadie wasn’t covered in blood.

  Devon checked Leah’s head and shoulders. She didn’t seem to have anything broken, so he gently lifted her from the truck. Sadie climbed out after her, then Brian ran his hands up and down Sadie’s body, needing to reassure himself she was fine.

  “I’m okay, Brian. Check on Leah,” an exasperated Sadie said after his third pass down her frame. He reluctantly turned from her and joined Devon as they looked over Leah.

  “She’s starting to come to. There’s a big knot on her head. I think she hit it on the side window,” Devon said.

  “Guys, come quickly. It’s Scott — he’s not breathing,” Jacob called in a panic. Phoenix turned and spotted his light. She took off running in his direction. She didn’t know how she could help, but she felt she had to do something. The others were right behind her.

  She reached Jacob and Scott and looked down. Scott had blood running out of his mouth and nose, and his head was twisted. She dropped to her knees and felt for a pulse . . . nothing. She remembered her dad listening to the airways, so she pressed her ear against his mouth . . . still nothing. He was gone.

  “His neck is broken, Phoenix. There’s nothing we can do for him,” Brian said, his voice tight with restrained emotion.

  “What happened?” Sadie asked between quiet sobs.

  “I don’t know . . . everything was fine, there was nothing in the road. All of a sudden, I lost control of the truck and then it all happened so fast. We were driving normally one second, then we were flying into the air . . .” Brian said.

  “We need to bury him,” Devon said. No one wanted to face the reality that their friend was gone. A burial was much too real.

  “We need to be sure,” Phoenix said. People had died while they lived in the caves, but she’d never been there for the actual burial, just the short funeral. Her parents said it was important not to dwell on the deaths; it would be too hard to pick up the pieces if they did.

  “He’s gone, Phoenix. You have to let go. We need to protect his body. You and Sadie need to go with Devon and wait with Leah. Then we’ll decide if the truck is salvageable. Right now, we’re going to bury Scott,” Brian said, pulling himself together.

  “Okay,” Devon quickly replied, tugging on the girls. They slowly followed him. Reality was setting in. They weren’t on some fun adventure. They were fighting for their lives.

  The three of them walked over to Leah. She was starting to stir. She opened her eyes and squinted at them.

  “What happened?” she croaked.

  “We had an accident. I need you to slowly move your arms and legs, then try moving your neck. Don’t make any fast movements. We need to see if anything’s broken,” Devon said. Leah looked at him with frightened eyes, but she started slowly moving her body.

  She began with her hands and feet, and though it took about fifteen minutes, she finally moved each part. After Devon gave her the okay, she sat up, wincing from the movement.

  “My back is tender, but nothing’s broken. I broke my arm when I was young, and if something were broken, I’d know. That was the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt,” Leah mumbled.

  Devon helped her to her feet. She stood up and wobbled for a minute.

  “I’m going to be okay, but my head is killing me. I could use a couple Advil,” she said.

  “Let’s move you over to this boulder, then the girls can keep you company while I go to the truck and find the first aid kit,” Devon said. They walked to an outcrop of rocks and helped Leah get comfortable.

  Devon walked to the truck and took his time looking around, grateful his lantern hadn’t broken. He walked down the road for about a hundred yards. He peered into the ditches. Nothing . . . there was nothing anywhere that should’ve made Brian lose control of the vehicle. A chill ran down his spine as a bad feeling deep inside grew. Something wasn’t right.

  Devon realized he’d wandered too far from the group and he turned to head back. Before he could take a step he heard an unrecognizable cry from somewhere in the woods. His head whipped around as he tried to see past the small area his lantern lit. The sound was a haunting, terrifying noise, and he didn’t want to know what kind of creature had made it.

  He started back up the road, his heart pounding. He knew there were animals out there, but he shouldn’t be so freaked out by them. He’d survived in the wild for years. There was nothing out there that could hurt him. He had weapons. They wanted to avoid him just as much as he wanted to avoid them. But in the back of his rational thoughts, he kept wondering what had made the truck crash.

  Halfway to the truck, he heard that same otherworldly cry, but much closer. He felt as if he were being tracked, but he didn’t want to entice whatever it was by running or letting it think he was afraid. Still, his heart was pounding so hard he was sure everyone could hear it, even at a distance. The bushes rustled about twenty feet from him and he gave up all pretense of bravery.

  He began running up the hill, calling himself every name possible for wandering off alone. He could see the light from where the guys were burying Scott, another reminder that not all was right. He’d just turned the corner, only feet away from the group, when he felt heat on his neck, as if something was breathing on him. The creature let out an ear-splitting roar, and he knew whatever it was had caught up to him. He had no doubt he was about to die, and his only thought was he had to stop whatever it was so it couldn’t get to Phoenix.

  He dropped the lantern, the light spilling out in front of him. He pulled his twelve-inch blade out and rolled on the ground, then flipped back around and came face to face with it. His eyes widened in terror as he tried to comprehend what was before him. There was no way he could really be seeing what he thought he was. It lunged toward him with a look of death in its eyes.

  He knew he had no chance of winning, but if he could harm the beast, maybe the others had a chance of getting away. He lifted the hand holding the knife, hoping to sink the blade into its flesh, but it was too late. As if the creature could read his thoughts and knew his intentions, Devon felt excruciating pain in his back, and then he was flying through the air.

  “Devon!” He heard Phoenix scream his name. He wanted to shout for her to run, to get away, but he couldn’t get any words past his throat. He knew he was going to hit the ground. I love you, Phoenix, was his last thought . . .

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Phoenix watched in horror as Devon went flying through the air and bounced off the ground. She was frozen as the sky opened and moonlight cascaded down, displaying the scene before her. The moon was so big it allowed them to see far more definition in the forest around them. Devon was impossibly still, crumpled on the ground in a heap. She was terrified to reach him and find no pulse beating against his throat.

  The growl rumbling from the nearby beast tore her thoughts from Devon. The others had heard the commotion and were surrounding her, all fearful of what they were facing.

  The beast was at least eight feet tall. It had j
agged horns, and its large fangs were visible even with its mouth closed. Drool from the hideous creature continued to fall to the ground as if it was salivating at the sight of its next meal. Its beady, glowing eyes were staring directly at Phoenix, and seemed to lock her in a trance. Hair covered its entire body. The creature took a step toward her and she knew she wouldn’t be able to outrun it. Since it seemed intent on her alone, maybe her friends would be able to get away.

  “You have to run, Sadie. Take the others and run,” Phoenix begged her friend.

  “You know that’s not gonna happen, Phoenix,” Sadie said as she stayed by her side.

  “It’s not looking away from me. I think Vyco sent it. There’s no use in all of us dying if I’m the only one it’s after,” Phoenix pleaded.

  “We can beat it,” Sadie answered with determination.

  “She’s right, Phoenix. We aren’t going anywhere,” Brian whispered harshly. She loved them immensely, but wanted to strangle them at the same time.

  “Okay, then, if you’re not going to be smart and run, you might want to raise that little thing in your hand called a gun and shoot the growling beast,” Phoenix snapped. From the corner of her eye, she saw a semblance of a smile appear on Brian’s face.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, raising his gun. Jacob did the same and the beast stepped toward them. They opened fire. The monster stopped moving, and for a moment Phoenix thought maybe they’d actually hurt it.

  A renewed horror flooded them when it raised its head high in the air and produced a noise that sounded like a gurgling, throaty laugh. It fell back down on its front legs and crawled toward them, stalking its prey, not in the least bit wounded or worried they’d escape. It was taunting them. The beast knew it had its victims, and it was playing with them.

  “We need to run now!” Sadie yelled while gripping Phoenix’s hand.

  “We can’t leave Devon lying on the ground,” Phoenix insisted. “I don’t know if he’s alive.”

  “We can draw it away from him, but I don’t see the point in standing here, making it easy for it to kill us,” Sadie said, panic rising in her voice as it moved closer to them.

  Phoenix carefully took a step back, then another and another. Soon, the group was walking backward, picking up speed, but unwilling to take their eyes from the monstrous creature in front of them. It kept pace with them, not getting closer, but not allowing Phoenix from its sight. She was right; it never so much as glanced at the others, only her. She promised to never hunt another animal if she made it through the night. Being hunted was an experience she never wanted anything to do with again.

  “We’ve got to try to run,” Brian urged again. Phoenix made sure she was the one in the group closest to the beast. She didn’t want her friends killed because they were in the beast’s way.

  “Now!” Phoenix yelled. They took off, sprinting down the road. Where the trees shaded the moon’s beams, they couldn’t see clearly, but enough of their path was open that they didn’t trip over the large boulders and fallen tree limbs. Sadie refused to let go of Phoenix’s hand, though Phoenix tried shaking her off.

  “I’m not letting go,” Sadie gasped, slightly turning to glare at Phoenix.

  Phoenix wanted to yell at her, but all of her energy was centered on her feet moving one step at a time. She could hear the monster tracking them, and every few moments its breath would slither across her neck, making her tiny hairs stand on end. She knew it was toying with her, but she couldn’t seem to stop.

  Suddenly, she heard another screeching roar leave its throat, the sound bone-chilling. She knew it was over. She stopped running, the others in front of her unaware of her lagging behind. Sadie tugged her hand, but Phoenix had to get her out of the way. She lifted her free arm and swung out, knocking Sadie so hard in the jaw it sent her flying to the ground. Phoenix gave her a quick glance, the moonlight reflecting off the tears in Sadie’s eyes.

  “No,” Sadie cried as Phoenix stepped toward the monster.

  “Please just run, Sadie. He wants me,” Phoenix whispered, surprisingly calm considering she knew she was about to die, and most likely in a horrific way.

  The beast snaked out its long, talon-filled fingers and lifted her off the ground, throwing her over its head, away from Sadie. The others, realizing the two girls had stopped, were sprinting back, but it would be too late. Sadie screamed at the beast, but it ignored her as if she didn’t exist. It had its prey, and the others were beneath its notice.

  Phoenix landed on the side of the road on a moss-covered piece of ground. She felt the hard impact throughout her entire body as she bounced once before stopping. The beast crept toward her, taking its time, drawing out her terror. It seemed to get pleasure from her fear. She lifted her chin, refusing to show weakness. She was shaking all over, but her eyes were strong — she stared at it with defiance.

  “What are you?” she demanded, knowing she was stupid for asking. It cocked its head as if it could actually understand her. With a final, victorious roar, it crouched and leapt into the air, its talons aimed directly at her throat. She could roll over, try to run, but she knew it would be useless. The monster had its prey, and it was going to win. She closed her eyes and hoped her death would be quick.

  “Phoenix!” Sadie screamed. She sounds far enough away, she should be safe, Phoenix thought, her brain moving at lightning speed. She knew Brian wouldn’t allow Sadie to leave his side. There was nothing else they could do for her. She waited for death, a weird calm taking over her body.

  She heard rustling and then another cry, but it wasn’t from the creature. Suddenly there was a loud thud, causing the ground to shake, and the beast screamed in pain. She needed to open her eyes, but was too afraid the monster’s face would be within inches of hers. She didn’t want to stare straight into its fierce, glowing eyes. The scuffling noise grew louder as cries rang out. She finally braved opening her eyes a slit. And then they flashed wide open.

  She saw a blur of color as muscled arms wrapped around the beast. The monster was fighting back but seemed to be losing. Blood oozed from its body and the howls of pain were growing weaker.

  “Jayden?” Phoenix called, barely above a whisper. She didn’t want to hope, but it had to be him. He was so fast she couldn’t focus on his face. Was she actually dead and seeing what she’d prayed to see in her last moments? That would make more sense than what she was actually seeing.

  The creature screamed in pain then fell to the ground. A blade slashed through the air and sliced its throat. One final slash and its head rolled to the ground, flipping over until it finally stopped with sightless eyes staring at the moon. The lifeless body burst into flames before quickly turning into a pile of ash. Phoenix’s eyes were glued to the scene, staring at the man with his head tucked down, willing him to turn around.

  “Phoenix,” Sadie sobbed as she came running to her. “You stupid, stupid girl,” she choked out as she threw her arms around her.

  “I’m sorry I hit you, Sadie. I had to get you to let go. It was me he wanted,” Phoenix said, her eyes running over as the adrenaline that had kept her going finally overflowed into tears. Her body shook uncontrollably as the reality of the situation fully set in.

  “I know you were trying to protect me, but if you ever do something like that again, I’m going to be the one to beat the crap out of you,” Sadie gushed. They held each other as the dark man turned, familiar eyes locking with Phoenix’s.

  “John?” Phoenix gasped.

  It was her brother. There was no mistaking his features, but the look of power and fury in his shining eyes was frightening and foreign to her. A thin layer of sweat over his body gleamed in the bright moonlight, making him look more powerful.

  John always had been fit, but his body had transformed with defined arms, stomach, and a massive chest. She’d never really thought of him as immortal before that moment. But there was no mistaking the evidence before her. He looked like the celestial being he’d
become.

  He shook his head and looked down for a moment, his body trembling from the battle. Slowly, his fists unclenched and the fury on his face began to dim. Within a minute, he stood before them, looking pretty much like his normal self.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner, Phoenix. I knew you were in trouble. I could feel it,” he whispered, pain evident in his voice. He lifted his hand, unconsciously rubbing the skin covering his heart.

  “You saved me,” she said. She couldn’t manage to get any other words past her throat.

  “I guess you weren’t full of crap, John,” Brian said, easily being the first one to crack a joke in the tense situation. Sadie looked at him angrily.

  “Brian,” she scolded.

  “Sadie, I love you more than any other, but if I don’t laugh right now, I’m going to pass out. Besides, it’s not every day you see your best friend taking down a giant beast while looking like a god,” Brian said. His voice was sarcastic, but there was an undercurrent of fear there too. Sadie nodded.

  “What the hell was that thing?” Brian asked John.

  “It’s called a Wendigo. They’re a creature from the dark underworld, one of Vyco’s minions. They are cannibalistic, from another world. They survive on gluttony and greed, never having enough to satisfy themselves. That’s why they’re the perfect assassins. They won’t stop until they have their victim,” John explained.

  “So, basically, Vyco couldn’t get Phoenix to do what he wanted her to in her dreams, so he stepped it up and hired a demonic hit man. That’s lovely, just lovely,” Brian huffed. John raised his brow at his friend, who seemed to be throwing a mild tantrum.

  “Wow, and I thought the only worry we had were the gun-toting soldiers,” Jacob added. John turned toward the rest of the group. He was amazed at how well they were holding themselves together.