Over Again | ✓

I n O m n i a P a r a t u s

Chapter Ten

❝ one thing you can't hide - is when you're crippled inside ❞
;
John Lennon

I awoke to the smell of ash and smoke.

"Harper! Harper, wake up!" Someone shook me awake as what was happening dawned on me- something was burning.

My vision cleared to a frantic Adam holding my hand. "What's going on, Pierce?" Outside, I could hear the screams and heavy footsteps of people running in all directions. There were the sirens of the police and the fire truck, too.

"No time to explain. We have to go now." He led me outside as we began to run in the opposite direction of John's house and the canteen- the canteen was burning! Around us, the other campers shouted the names of their companions whilst the staff ordered people to safety as the fire grew wildly, charring the trees nearby. Heavenward, the sky matched the color of the ash, dull and dark, empowered with the raging smoke.

"Pierce, where are the others?" My lungs were close to busting out of my chest when we soon stopped where the designated safe area was.

We were both panting, catching for our breaths as we looked at the still burning canteen, the wooden walls already falling down in huge chunks of debris. Adam handed me a half-full water bottle. I didn't care at that moment whether he drank on the bottle or not. The smoke was intoxicating me, flogging my senses. "They're probably in here somewhere. When I-I looked into their tents earlier, they were already gone."

"We need to look for them." He nodded, not letting go of my hand and squeezed it, as if to be making sure that I was still there beside him. "What do you think could've caused this?"

Adam's forehead creased and the corners of his mouth turn down. "I don't think it's a 'what' but so much as a 'who'."

I blinked. Once. Twice. Then several times. Could it possibly be- no, no. They wouldn't go that far, right? Right? Unless, they really would. I shook the thoughts away and said, "Let's just go find them." A flash of blonde hair caught my eye over the mass of people. "WILL! Pierce, they're there!"

I pulled on Adam's hand to their direction and in that moment, my heart fell to the very bottom of my stomach. "Thank God, you guys are here. I thought we lost you, too." Will's alarmed hazel eyes skimmed over me, looking for any signs of injuries before nodding at Adam.

"What do you mean by 'lost us, too'?" My gaze hopped from one face to another, again and again and again. But still, it was only Xander, Will and Dennise who were with us at the moment. I breathed deeply and slowly blew out. "Guys, where's Alex and Nessa?"

I looked at Xander whose mouth was set in a hard line. "The two of them weren't in their tent before the fire even started. Dennise was the only one left. We didn't know where the either of them would go."

"Xander, what time is it?" I let go of Adam's hand as I paced back and forth, biting my nails to the very core, close to drawing blood.

"Quarter to ten."

Oh crap on a stick. When it came to food, those two would literally go to the end of the world for it- no matter what. I dreaded saying my assumption as to where they might be, dreaded saying it only for it to be true. My hands began to turn clammy and the heat from the canteen worsened my sweating. I halted my pacing. "I think I know where they are."

Their brows rose before a shadow of realization came over their faces. "Shit." Will ran a hand through his hair, already weaving his way out of the safety area and sneaked past the police through the forest. We had no choice but to follow him.