The Chosen

Chapter 2

Suddenly all of my wishes to stick out from the crowd vanish, just as quickly as the flame in front of me does. It seems like less than a second after blowing out my candle when the room suddenly starts to shake. The whole world starts falling apart, the walls turning into jelly and the floors doing nothing to stop me from slipping.

Books are falling off shelves and crashing plates can be heard from the kitchen, but Tori and I are simply clinging to each other for dear life.

"It's an earthquake!" Tori shouts over the noise, "we need to take cover in the basement!"

Not trusting myself to form words, I simply nod. She wastes no time in grasping my hand tightly and guiding us towards the basement door. However, just as she's reaching for the handle, a piercing siren rips through my brain, dissolved any aspect of reality I had left.

My head feels like it's being exploded from the inside out. Like a balloon is popping inside my brain.

"Sky? What's wrong?" I barely make out through the noise.

I don't have the strength to respond, or even stand. My knees give way, making me collapse onto the ground.

The last thing I see before my consciousness is ripped away from me is Tori's troubled face with what looks like fire lighting it up from the shadows.

*********

"Skyler" a voice whispers to me.

It's echo sends my head whipping in every direction.

"Hello?!" I yell into the emptiness.

There is no light, but no darkness either. There is no horizon, no sun to meet me at dawn and no moon to meet me at dusk. There is only me and the nothingness.

"Where am I?!" I scream again.

This time it's my voice that echoes back at me, like it hit a brick wall and was sent straight back to me with no answers to ease my worry.

"Is there anyone out there?!"

This time my begging is met with a faint noise, a tapping that is slowly increasing in volume.

"Skyler" the whispering voice says again.

This time when I turn I catch the glimpse of three figures on the horizon, walking slowly towards me. The darkness obscures any chance of me recognising their facial features.

The one in the centre walks ahead of them. I can make out a strong build and a tall figure, but still nothing recognisable.

"Hello?! Can you help me?!" I shout, sprinting towards them.

However as soon as I start to move, the floor gives way beneath my feet and I am tumbling down, down, down. Then all of a sudden I am falling through mountains, rivers and explosions of flame, licking my skin from every direction. The ground is nonexistent and all that is left is fire, hatred and most of all fear.

Pain is obsolete but my scream continues nonetheless.

"Skyler" the voice repeats, this time with a distinct masculinity, "don't fear the flame."

********

"Skyler!!" I voice yells on my ear, louder and more feminine than the one I had heard mere moments ago.

"Skyler wake up! We have to go! They're coming!"

This time I shoot straight up from the floor, my hair hanging in messy chunks by my cheeks.