As Red Light Strikes

3. What is left for tomorrow

Darkness, it felt like it had surrounded her completely and she couldn't find a light. She shivered even though it was burning hot. She shivered and felt wet, sticky but moving hurt and she found it hard to breathe. Someone was shaking her firmly. She didn't have the energy to open her eyes.

"Aily god dammit, this is not how it all ends." She heard Remy's voice. It was surprisingly calm and ignoring the haunting words she forced her aching eyes open, with a spark of hope. It had been a dream, one of her usual nightmares. She knew from the disgusting smell of burned flesh and the few dying weak sobs that she was kidding herself but it still struck her like a physical blow when she opened her eyes to the destruction. Eyes running over the whole scene she found herself sobbing then coughing up the dark smoke that was surrounding them. Everything hurt, hurt more than she could ever remember hurting and she knew in that moment that she was still alive, she felt it in her bones, in her muscles, even on her skin. Carter was standing up already his back turned towards them as he was staring at the gladly playing flames. A dead man laying at his feet, face down at the floor as his hands that had been gripping tight on to something had loosened the fingers now reaching towards one of the remaining seats.

"Aily I need to know if you can hear me, we need to move. We are wasting time. 90 seconds, that's the prediction...we are overtime, 600 seconds or more, focus Aily...can you hear me?" Remy's always calm voice was bordering on panicky but not afraid, never afraid. Even with the world gone under she was admirably calm. "Aily, now." She barked grabbing Aily's bag and throwing it at Carter who was broken from his spell. "A little help here. Grab her hands, we need to get out of here before this thing blows." Remy barked and got Carter acting. "Pull her up." Remy ordered and Carter did as he was told although Aily wanted to protest her foot was hurting and she could feel the pain traveling up her feet as Carter pulled her onto her feet, practically dragging her towards the opening in front of them, Remy had grabbed their backpacks and followed close to them. Aily needed to stop, her foot wouldn't work and she was feeling dizzy. The smell making her ill as well. She had no energy left, if this was it, she was too tired to fight death but Carter didn't let her stop. He pulled and dragged, running prancing. At the opening he only turned to check with Remy who nodded for him to continue. Aily's hearing was clearing and she was the one to hear it. A woman begging, she knew the voice belonged to their teacher, Miss Wilson.

"Please.... Help... HELP... I am stuck." Sure enough her eyes landed on the woman and as on instinct she was about to turn around and hurry to Miss Wilson who indeed looked to be stuck. Remy didn't allow her and all but pushed her. "We don't have the time, we need to get out if we don't want to fry." The sentences woke Carter whose eyes had followed Aily's and before Aily got to protest he pulled her out. "HELP, Please come back" She didn't know if she really heard it or if it was her guilt speaking. Carter's feet were longer than hers and with the pain it was even harder to run onwards in the  thigh high water. It didn't stop Carter who was practically ripping her arm as she let him drag her behind him. Remy's panting felt as a relief and she told herself they would go back for Miss Wilson the moment they were sure it was safe. Getting to the shore she fell onto her knees as Remy urged her back up. "Higher... the ...'' but the girl was cut off by the loud explosion. Pieces of metal went flying, water smashed into Aily as rock hard bricks and she barely noticed how Remy had thrown herself on top of her to keep her down. Carter was lying on his back and they all lied there as their ears were singing, the impact momentarily making them deaf. When remaining shock waves drew into them as a heavy blanket then pulling back again, slowly losing their quantities. There was a new smell in the air, wrapping them in, burning kerosene, the heat of the flaming waves warming their, now, shivering forms. So much for saving Miss Wilson.

Aily felt ill and managing to somehow push Remy off her she crawled up on her knees puking her guts out. Suddenly all was quiet. The black smoke was rising high and the flames were there but in some way it felt like the chaos was setting down. Heavy breathing and the small bristles of the fire were the only thing that could be heard as Aily fell to her back staring at the bright blue sky.