Starts with a Match

Covered

"Elijah?" I check around our tent in case he magically delayed walking off for the cherry basket. Nothing, no tall dark head of hair. I curse and sprint down the path. Told him to wait on me, fucking hell. "Vishou!"

"Here, man." Dart left, dodge tree branch right, I just keep hearing Hannah's scream in my ear.

I find him in one of the wider sections, his steps toward our campsite slowing as he hears me coming. His head is lowered, tilting left, right. "Elijah, Hannah said—"

"This isn't supposed to look like this, dude," he cuts over me.

I frown and look down at what 'this' is, trying to level my breathing. He's holding a bomb, inspecting it at different angles.

"What do you mean?" I ask, hands tingling. I stand closer to him, feel the heat of his arm against mine. Not too feverish. I'm hyper aware of all that shit now.

"We're missing a wire, look."

I take it from him and hold it up, squinting. Sure enough, no wire, no delay function. "Where did you get this?"

"The bomb tent, just now." He gives an obnoxious groan as he stretches and my pulse is on fire. "Though it was a little odd, I guess. Was just a drop off box, no one there to pass it to me. Didn't sign for it either."

A shiver goes down my spine despite how much I'm sweating in my uniform. "Did the box for this one say anything specific?"

Elijah does a funny hip wiggle as he thinks, taking the bomb back. "Ummm....think it just said like...'pop the cherry for me', love Roz? Rozinator. Or something—y'know how he always writes dumb little notes—"

My head whips up to him. "Roz?" He hums with a nod and I shake my head. "Roz is gone, man, IOB."

"What—"

I grab him so hard by the shoulder he yelps, eyes massive. "Green unit's gone gluts," I gasp. Elijah's jaw drops. "Was the last thing Medrano said before the walkie cut—"

Tink.

Click-click.

In his hands, the gear meant to delay the explosion starts to twist. I stare at it. Elijah stares at it. The cap pops off too soon, and cherry gushes over his fingers. He looks at me in tears. "Kevin."

Tick, tick, tick.

My mouth manages to choke out, "Run."

I snatch the bomb from his hands. In one motion, I chuck it full force at the trees, claw at his wrist and drag him behind me, sprinting. Might as well be running through molasses. Like racing for Margie. Too slow.

Tick, tick, tick.

I hear the bomb hit the trees, fall through leaves.

Then Elijah's body-slamming me from behind, and my face meets the ground and I know my nose is broken instantly.

Then cla-tick.

Then white light that I'm usually miles away from blinds me.

And I'm on fire, covered in cherry and Elijah.