Lost in Ash (The Phoenix Experiment - Book 1)

CHAPTER SIX

"Alva! Phone's for you!"

"Coming!" Alva called, running down the hallway as she tried to shove her shoe into a stiletto. A flash of white hair zoomed past her, almost knocking her over. "Atwood! Slow feet!"

She watched as a smiling boy with two front teeth missing, smiled up at her over his shoulder. Instantly, his movements slowed, but the second he reached the stairs of the house the sprint began again. Alva couldn't help the smile that took over her face.

"Dad! Do we have cereal?"

Alva could hear Atwood ask his father as she descended the stairs. "Cereal doesn't make you smart though," She whispered to herself as her husband's voice recited the same thing to their son.

There was no one in the world she knew better than Zixin Feng. He was a loving man, who put anyone before himself. He loved science, just like her, but was drawn more towards nature. It was often that she would find her husband and son, lying in the soft grass of their backyard. Sometimes they'd sleep out with the stars or watch clouds change their shapes for hours. Alva always found herself moving to work out on the porch when that happened. Piles of research were in her lap as she listened to the giggles and cackles coming from her little family.

"I could just not be smart."

"Good try, Bud, but no."

"What's this I hear about my son not being smart?" Alva asked as she rounded the entry into the kitchen. Wrapping a small Atwood up into her arms, pressing a kiss onto his chubby cheek.

"Uck," Atwood said as he made a face of disgust and wiped off the lipstick left on his cheek.

"What about mine?" Zixin asked as he placed down a plate full of fruits, scrambled eggs, and sausage.

Alva smiled affectionately, letting go of Atwood to move toward her husband. She kissed him lightly on the lips once, twice, and then a third time. When she pulled back, she used her thumb to wipe away the lipstick on his lips.

Zixin gave her thumb a gentle kiss before nodding his head in the direction of their shared home office, "Call's waiting."

"They can wait longer," Alva whispered, not wanting Atwood to overhear.

"It's the doctors," Zixin's playfulness faded away as his eyes filled with concern. "They'll only talk to you."

***

"Frosty, time to move."

Lev's deep voice woke her from the light sleep. The memory disappeared as suddenly as it had started. Leaving Alva's heart aching for several things that were just too far out of reach. Impossible things.

Alva nodded as she accepted Lev's offered hand, and he helped pull her out of the hiding spot. For at least a couple of hours, she had been hiding in a large cardboard box, five streets over from the warehouse. Lev had them travel through sewers, though he insisted on calling them underground tunnels. Which annoyed Alva, a fun name that didn't change the experience of walking through the muck. They'd popped out only a few streets later, only for Lev to shove her in a box and tell her to wait.

For what seemed like hours, she listened as footsteps rushed by now and then. Shouts could be heard echoing off buildings. Sometimes they were louder, those made Alva tense and grab at the small knife in her pocket. Not that a knife could beat a bullet. The shouts that were further away, the ones that were muffled sounded like a lullaby.