The teens around us solidify in my vision as I become suddenly aware of everything happening. My eyes search for the origin of the scream and come to a halt at the group of people rushing toward a spot in the corner of the living room.
"He's seizing!" someone yells. "Call an ambulance!"
"They're on their way!" one of the girls hollers after a moment, her eyes anxious as she speaks.
Everyone crowds the boy, including me, as I inch toward the scene. It's difficult to see much of anything, but I can hear the numerous voices trying to decide what to do. A gap clears as bodies shift, giving me a window in which to watch the boy. His scrawny body lays flat on the ground, shaking and trembling as all of his limbs jerk in disarray. The bleached hair atop his head stands stick straight, a shock wave rushing through it every time his skull bangs against the ground. His eyes are rolled back in his head, revealing the whites of his irises.
For a moment, the boy on the ground vanishes, replaced by a middle-aged woman with brown hair. Her thin lips gape for air as her body hits the ground, limp and helpless. She is the woman that died in the lab last week after the injection. She is the ghost that haunts me.
A sense of helplessness rushes over me. I stand, completely frozen, as I continue staring at the boy. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help. The last person I watched lie on the ground like this ended up dying. Is that going to be this boy's fate too?
Hands find my shoulders, gently steering me away. "Come on, let's go," Ben's voice floats softly to my ears. He guides me back to the dining room, where this all started. Verie still sits at the table, empty plates in front of her. I search for Kole, finding him huddled with a group of boys who look to be around his age. They all talk, laughing and knocking each other on the backs from time to time. Rowan trots over, coming to a stop next to us.
"You ready to go, Verie?" Ben asks from behind me.
She nods, standing from her place and circling the table to meet us. A loud crash comes from the group Kole is with. We look over, seeing that a girl has fallen to the ground. At first, it just looks like she just drank too much and fell over, but then her body begins to tremble. I beg it not to happen. I pray I'm wrong about what's happening. But the second her eyes turn white, I know my assumptions are correct.
"Holy shit!" one of the boys exclaims. His eyes aren't on the girl, but rather on the yellow flames that lick at the curtains.
My eyes trail the fire, tracing it to the candle that rests on the floor. The girl must have knocked it off the table when she fell. Screams explode from the living room as teenagers begin to notice the flames quickly eating at the dining room. Bodies slam into one another as they swarm to the front door and flood out. The room is quickly set ablaze, throwing a dangerously gorgeous shimmer across the walls.
Bennet grips my wrist, beginning to drag me from the room. I resist, glancing back at the girl still seizing on the floor. No one hovers over her. No one tries to get her out of the room. No one cares that she's alone and helpless in the midst of the fire.
I rip my arm from Ben's grasp. "Shyah!" he hollers, gripping it once more. "Come on."
I don't respond, prying his fingers off me and walking toward the girl and the flames that surround her. I wasn't able to do anything with the woman in the lab. And maybe I won't this time either, but I won't leave her alone.
"Fine! It's your funeral," he scoffs before turning to follow the crowd.
I kneel next to the girl, watching her body spaz on the floor. The back of her head slams against the wooden floorboards, the rhythmic thud blending with the crackling of the fire. I place my hands beneath her head to cushion the impact. Heat engulfs the room. Sweat breaks out on my forehead, making it suddenly evident how dire the situation is.
I need to get us out.
I grab her wrists, heaving my body toward the exit. I dodge the greedy yellow fingers that reach for me. Black smoke fills the air, twisting and turning around my head. My lungs burn, despite the limited amount of breaths I take. The last few stragglers are evacuating through the front door when I finally reach the hallway. The fire hasn't reached this part of the house yet, but the smoke still manages to consume it.
Before I realize what's happening, my vision goes black, body falling to the ground just before my entire world disappears.
YOU ARE READING
Shadows Ablaze
Science FictionThe homeless are dying, and now so are the Elites. The earth is not what it once was. After years of mistreatment, humans are forced to deal with the aftermath of global warming. The solution: genetic alterations. But the only people able to afford...