Getting Home

Part 43

The black tidal wave rushed down the tunnel of the sewer, splashing up the walls, flooding towards them faster than seemed possible.

"Run!" Agent Leigh shouted.

Sean and Sophia were already three steps ahead before the word even finished leaving Leigh's mouth. All three sprinted down the grimy sewer tunnel, the filthy water splashing under their feet as they ran, the sound of rushing water building and echoing and crashing as the giant tsunami gained on them.

This is it, Sean thought as he ran. We're dead—for real this time.

Agent Leigh tripped.

She fell hard, hands out in front of her, a short, sharp report coming from her mouth as she splashed into the muck-water. Sean clearly heard the crack of a bone breaking, so loud that it sounded like a gunshot, echoing all around him.

Shit.

Sean immediately slid to a stop, reversing direction. He froze for a split-second when he actually saw the giant wall of black, viscous slime sloshing down on them.

It's moving so fast—no chance.

He fell clumsily to his knees next to Leigh, Ava's phone still in his hand, projecting its light onto where Leigh was holding her ankle.

Her eyes got big when she saw Sean.

"What the hell are you doing, Mather?" she said incredulously. "You need to—"

Sophia collided into Sean, falling against him.

Leigh's eyes got bigger.

"What the—both of you, get out of here now!" she shouted.

No time, Sean wanted to say. In fact, he wanted to say a lot of things, have the time to think about them, to come to peace with them—

But nothing came to him.

The giant swell of thick obsidian liquid was almost on top of them, pouring and splashing and filling the entire tunnel behind. Sean put his arms around both Sophia and Leigh, pulling them close until their heads were touching, the three of them huddling and embracing each other.

"Don't look," Leigh whispered.

The phone slipped from Sean's hands. He caught one last glimpse from the bright, white light of the phone falling, reflecting the giant wave of black ooze raising up above them like it was pouncing, rising all the way up to the ceiling before falling, collapsing and crashing down on top of them—

Sean suddenly heard Ava's voice.

Singing.

The giant dark blob suddenly flared back, up and away, losing its cohesion and splashing down in a volcanic eruption all around them—

But not touching them.

Sean slowly looked up from where the three had their heads bowed together, their arms around each other. The black liquid sloshed around them, giant splashes circling in a ring around them, splitting and melting back into itself, slithering up the walls and dripping and pouring from the ceiling—

Ava's voice continued singing from the phone that had fallen on the ground.

"What's going on?" Sophia whispered.

"It's Ava," Sean whispered back in awe.

The black sludge pooled around them, now slowly swirling and undulating in the dim light of the phone. The liquid crawled up the tunnel walls, over the ceiling, and flooded everywhere in front of them—