Center of the Flames

Chapter Two: You're a mess *clap clap*

Chapter Two: You're a mess *clap clap*

Section Six: Through The Rubble

I start to acknowledge the soreness in my legs, they've been moving for hours; Dancing along to the record with Astrid. It felt like minutes when we danced, my mind felt peace, and so did I. That peace is now gone, I don't want to leave this beautiful night behind, but I must. The sun is rising, signifying the start of a new day.

I look at her, ready to continue, even as the sun rises, but abruptly, our music comes to a stop. We freeze in our tracks and Astrid moves out of my arms, moving beside me instead. I wrap my arm around her, and we stare at the record together. One of my two "useless powers" should have kept the record playing (having Death as a sibling has some perks), and we saw everyone who would have something to say about this become the kindling for the fires at our hands. What could've caused this? Before I can ask Astrid that same question, she turns her head, staring through the arch sitting on top of the debris. I follow her eyes, and see something, I try to get a closer look but it doesn't stay stationary for long. We move backward a bit together, then stand in one place, staring.

She looks up at me, "What was that?"

"You see it too right?"

"There!" she says as she points in front of us, "There it is again, a tiger." The snow-colored tiger quickly looks up as it runs past us for the second time.

"Darling," I say as I tug at her hand, leading it towards a silhouette, hovering above the ground, in the middle of our arched doorway, where the tiger appeared before. That same white tiger walks towards its leader and walks in circles around them. I can't make out who or what this leader is, but I scream out to it.

"Who are you?" She tilts her head back as she laughs, then turns it back after a moment of it. Their crazed eyes staring us down.

"Maybe you remember destroying a town? My town." Their voice is harsh, but it has such a sweetness to it. She is looking for revenge, but I won't give them the chance to ruin our perfect life. Before either of us could even think anything about this, the tiger shifts its appearance to what looks like a person, but I don't think that's what they are. The human tiger is now standing beside the floating entity. This leader raises her hands, and something comes out of the ground. More and more continue, being commanded by what seems their master. I don't know what's happening, but I have what I think is a spot-on guess.

Zombies? I don't know, but I see these half dead, half alive, things. These humanoid seeming beings are covered in vines and flowers, their faded bodies peppered with sunflowers and tulips. This doesn't seem real at all, but anything is possible with magic. Magic and anger. Grief can help you with a lot of things. Groups of them, these plants, and people started charging towards us. I can't let the love of my life get hurt, nonetheless die. I start moving back, but Astrid is glued to the ground, too shocked to move.

"We have to get out of here!" I take her by the arm and we start running, going faster, and faster, I feel the heat of the fires whipping me across the face. We're sweating, jumping, constantly looking behind us to make sure our lives weren't to come to an end any time soon. Astrid looked traumatized, which is valid considering all that happened in the last 24 hours. The continuous burning inside my legs is weakening me, my senses. Embers flailing up as we sprint past all the different places we'd seen around town. On fire and collapsing. Just rubble now.

As we dash through the ruins of what used to be our life, all I want is safety. Glancing at Astrid it looks like she wants the same thing. Blood is pumping through my body, it wants to give out. I try to say something but I can barely make it out, through the fatigue of my body and the insane laughter following our every step.