15. Into the Fire

I choke down my gagging, forcing myself to be silent. But, that voice, I think to myself, that wasn't Mr. Buxton! But, I couldn't be totally sure of that.

"Who's there?" The voice continues to get closer, I don't even dare to turn my head to see where Jake is.

I open my eyes as much as I can in the drowning smoke. A dark silhouette looms feet from my face... The same silhouette that found Rachael and me in the Outlands! Again, I can't be sure.

I bite my lip to keep from screaming, and clutch the metal wall. The shadow stands there, turns his head away,the turns back to face straight toward me! I hear one ominous step; like an alien approaching a crashed spaceship (or at least my nightmare of that).

A crashing sound exploded into the smoke. The silhouette jumped and ran after it as it transformed into a gushing sound.

My arm is wrenched away from the sound and the man now shouting.

"Kayla!" Jake hisses, "Great job keepin' quiet. Sorry I had to threaten you, maybe scare you, but I didn't have time to explain, and, well, it was true! If that guard would've caught you here, a second time... well, let's just say you were lucky to get out the first time... alive! No one comes here, so trust me, they remember you."

"What?" My coughing and choking explode back into action, and for the first time I realize Jake is coughing and choking too. "That doesn't make any sense! What were you doing? And what was that water sound?"

"Haha! That's my, 'Hey, guard guy! Come here so I can get in to your fortress, while you're dealing with the rucuss' act." He burst out laughing betweent coughs! "In other words, I just broke one of the pipes that was so wisely placed outside of this fortress."

I laugh, but his parade couldn't shake off all of my anxiety.

I assume we round a corner, because the darkness gives way to a bright red... well, sky... but it is still behind the thick, swirling smoke. I close my eyes against the burn of the smoke and cover my mouth to slow my coughs. Then, Jake twists my arm and I smack my back against the metal wall. He releases his grip and I sink the the concrete. I open my stinging eyes to see another silhouette marching by. I can see better now, with the red backdrop, that this silhouette -gaurd?- is holding a stick over his shoulder.

I see a short dark blob moving across the concrete. Jake! What are you doing?! Be Careful! I think, but don't dare say. The blob stands up and- "FREEZE!" The voice sends new shivers down my spine. The guard snatches the stick off his shoulder and grips it with two hands, ready to stab someone in the middle with it. Jake, drops to the ground and circles around behind the guard, unseen, then pounces on his back, reaching desperately for the stick. The guard wrestled back, and I lose track of which silhouette belongs to which person.

The stick flies out of the wrestling match and crashes to the ground, sending out a volley of sharp bangs. But even more frightening than that were the sparks and clangs that shower around me. Something tears at my left shoulder, and I scream, more from fear than from pain, though they were nearly matched now. I hear Jake shout something - or at least I thought it was Jake - and then I see one of the two throw the other to the ground. The winner grabs the shooting stick then rushes toward the wall. The guard!

In a panic I jump up and start to flee, but I can't just leave Jake! I circle around as I saw Jake do and creep up to the figure on the ground.

"Jake? Jake! Wake up, Jake!" I shake the figure but no sound or movement comes out of him. I slump to my knees, unsure of what to do, tears welling in my eyes. I have never truly seen death, the grown ups and leaders at the Zermedine never allowed children younger than seven see sick people that they said were going to die.

They said we couldn't handle it, but I remember when a five and a half year old girl's mom got sick and she sneaked in to see her... after that day, she hardly spoke, but simply walked around with tears in her eyes. One time she pulled me aside and asked me how she was supposed to bear it. She asked me, as an older girl, to explain how she was supposed to have hope and continue with her life. I couldn't answer her... no one could. We all knew that once someone died... there was no hope. They were gone and we would never see them again. So it was best if we just remembered them as healthy and well.

Oh, Jake... You should have never come... those people were right! This cloud - or fortress- or- This place, was your doom! I stand to go, but I can't just leave Jake - or what is left of him - for the guard to... What would he do? I wonder. Well, I just have to take him somewhere hidden. It shouldn't be hard since this smoke seems to be constantly blurring the whole place.

I lay him out in the field as far as I felt was safe, whisper "Goodbye, Jake.", then force myself toward the wall. I had thought about taking him and fleeing back to the town, but he had was right when he said I had to know. You brought me this far, Jake, now I am going to finish, and finally know everything about myself!

My nose smacks against the metal wall. I grunt, but turn to face the reddest path and run again. The red has faded to more of an orange color and the darkness threatens to envelope the whole cloud of smoke. I need to get inside!

Then I see the guard with the stick run through the wall! I quickly follow, and find a whole in it. A door! Then the door starts quickly sliding shut. I dart my hand into the opening, but it slams down on my fingers. Against my will, my reflexes rip my hand out of the doorway. The door is closed.

I rub my fingers and moan. No! Why couldn't I keep it OPEN! I kick the door with all my might. Then, as if by magic, it slides open! I dart through, not wanting to get slammed out again, but one look around and I instantly I regret it.