Flames

Chapter 19 Wicked Me

Fire whipped in the smoky air, tendrils of sparking lightening danced along roads of asphalt.
Crystalline pitched screams pierced Reika's ear drums.
"Look."
The voice was still but mighty, as if apart from this place yet in it.
As if brought on by her presence, the sparks pops increased.

Her eyes burned, itching from the smoldering heat.
Further on through the dense smog like smoke, was a city.
There was no doubt that she was back in the Graves.

Injuries along the journey of escape made the bolts of electricity nearly unbearable.
Encircling her was the Field, well what once had been the Field. Instead of the previous grain there was asphalt.
Reika didn't question how plausible that was, without earth grain couldn't grow, and especially not on cement.
She bounded down a sidewalk that looked like a fire has crossed over it.
Flames and Grain both had access to her Wires, but how would she know who had a handle when?
She clenched her jaw.
"Pain has no power over purpose." Her mind echoed.

The sky billowed with smoke, and her ankles were scorched from the crackling electricity.
In a blur she was tapped into, and brought to the outer edge of the city.
Dark looming buildings were powdered black from what seemed an explosion.
Amid the fizzing her ears perked, what was that?

Wailing, mournful sounds wooed throughout the streets.
The Wiring made a gap between her, and an outlying fence flanking a brick building.
She couldn't distinguish if it was male or female.
The handler lengthened her strides, bringing her closer to the passionate mourner.
The electricity fizzed out, like the last kernels in a popcorn machine
Her ability to move was back, and the first thing she did was stop.
Quiet rang in her head, she could turn around, she could run, but what if this was her ticket out of the Graves?
Another low drawn out squeal projected from behind a semi truck.

Reika did a noteworthy sweep of her surroundings.
A slender, long brown haired girl emerged from behind the truck.
"They're coming!"
The voice, the walk, the face, it was her.
A coldness entered her bones, she willed her legs to follow her fleeing doppelganger.
This was just the Graves, she would rather be with herself, than disobey what the other her had said about "they're coming."
She trailed after herself until they came to a bumpy metal looking dock.

"Remember when the Makers took you out of the Mires before the escape?"
She nodded at the mirrored version of her.
"Yes."
They faced each other, the oily blowing smoke swished their hair about like horse manes.

She was curious and wanted information. Grain could've hidden a code of some sort in her twins words.

"Do you know who Deidra was talking about when she told Naya that they didn't need HIM?"
Beyond the precipice was just more of the misty swirls of smoke-like substance, but it didn't choke her.
"Yeah, who was sh-"
Reika was cut off by herself.
"Conall."
Her heart flopped. The Makers had already planned to kill him, even before the Freestyles?
They stared deadpan at each other for what seemed like an eternity.
It all was too ominous, too evil, it all....she couldn't put a finger on it.

Only the jet black tops and sides of the buildings were visible due to the air pollution.
Her eyes stung, her heart kindling with fresh malice for Grain.
"They want to do away with you now."
Her head snapped to attention.
"They want to kill me?"

"Yes, because unlike you I know my job, unlike you I don't have a malfunction."
How could the other her be so wicked? She backed away from the docks edge.
"Don't do this. Please." Reika could only beg.
She couldn't reverse anymore, Grain controlled her Wires.
"God help me."
Her words evaporated into the thick grimy space.