Storm Sisters

Chapter Three

                                                                                    ~1~

The path they followed could barely be considered a path at all. It was rough terrain with high grass and rocky underbrush.

Rory had devised a contraption using an altered wheel-barrel from one of the many abandoned farms nearby to make the transport of Aelia by foot much easier. Although it did require her to be pulled along facing backwards.

She had been unusually quiet for most the time, which Audra would've normally liked, but even she was a bit concerned.

"Ok spit it out already," Audra demanded.

"Spit what out?" Aelia shrugged indifferently.

"The reason that you've been moping in silence for the past few hours.. just say it already and be done with it."

"It's nothing." Aelia whispered.

Then Aura spoke, "Its alright Aelia.. you don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

"It's just.." Aelia started, "You both have these powers and you didn't tell me."

"Aelia, we had only just found out right before everything happened. It just got lost in the all the chaos."

"I know, but.." she paused.

"but why don't I have any powers too?"

Audra and Aura exchanged a look of concern. It was a question that they couldn't answer. If only Abicus were here to ease Aelia's suffering with one of his clever riddles. He always knew just the right way to put things into perspective; But he wasn't here anymore and he never would be again.

The weather was shifting rapidly. The darkening sky hinted as to a storm approaching, and they would need to find shelter soon lest they get caught in it.

At the edge of the forest, they came to a river crossing. The water didn't appear too deep but would certainly presented some challenges for Aelia's cart.

"Oh great" Audra complained, "just what we needed."

Rory scratched his head as he studied the river bank. Then he marched out into the water about half way through, and it only came to about the level of his waist.

"This isn't so bad." he exclaimed almost cheerfully.

Thunder clapped overhead followed by a light sprinkle of rain. "We'd better hurry."

Rory hoisted Aelia onto his back so that he could hold her while pushing the cart in front of him. The other two girls held hands linked in a chain, with Audra grasping Rory's shirt for for balance.

The initial crossing wasn't horrible , although when they reached the middle, it became apparent that waist-high water for Rory meant that the girls were submerged up to their necks.

They had to wade against the current with only the tips of their toe's scraping the rocky bottom of the river bed, not allowing for much traction.

Then they heard it, a rising sound like a stampede in the distance. It grew louder and closer rapidly. "What's that sound?" Aelia asked.

It came all once from the horizon over the river to the north. The water level in the distance shot up as a bubbling mass of rushing destruction. The storm over the distant mountains must've generated a flash-flood that made it's way down the river toward them.

There was no time to react. The impact was swift and with such force that everyone in the group, including Rory, was knocked off their feet and pulled twisting and tumbling beneath the rushing current. They lost all sense of up and down; There was only gargled screams and the desperate need for air.