Persphyni : I am Destruction

38

"Help! Mom! Please!" The cry was ended with a serious of coughs. My ears flicking into the direction of the yell as I gave the exit one last glance.

With a clenched jaw and a sharp inhale that made my head spin, I took off.

"Gideon!" I shouted as I tried to listen for his voice. I heard faint coughing my feet turning nearly colliding with a wall as I stuck close to the sides. Trying to remember the route I'm taking.

"Help! Someone!" I was going in the right direction. Gideon's voice grew louder as I ran faster. My breath coming out in short pants to keep the smoke from clogging my lungs. I should be crawling on the ground trying to stay away from smoke by finding the lowest point possible, but that wasn't an option.

I felt the metal shudder again as the flames roared higher. The crackle of the heat burning through my clothes echoed as I refocused my eyes on what was hidden in front of me.

"God please. Send help." That was a different voice, a female voice. One I couldn't recognize right off the back as they went into a coughing fit.

"Gideon!" I cried out, coughing as I choked on the smoke, "If you can hear me stay where you are! I'm coming!" My words were weak but I forced them out my scratchy throat.

The metal creaked again and I knew I didn't have time to waste. I sped up if that was even an option, my heart pounding as my head ran. All the possible exits flash through my head as I turned the corner and neared the guards gym.

"Gideon! Lyla!" I shouted as I saw the two teens. Their heads whipping towards me as I skidded to a stop assessing the situation.

"Persphyni!" They chorused, though Lyla ended in a groan of pain. I almost smiled when I saw the cloths wrapped around their mouth and nose to protect from the smoke, but refrained as I looked at the door.

"Okay, let's get you out of here. Gideon some help." Lyla's leg was trapped inside the sliding door of the gym. Clearly they had been trying to evacuate when the fire short circuited the mainframe electrical system and Lyla was caught just before leaving.

"Please hurry, it hurts." I placed my hands on one side of the door and my back against the other before directing Gideon to set his arms under Lyla's armpits to pull her gently out after I opened the door.

"3, 2, 1, now Gideon!" As I counted down I began to push open the door, shouting now as I made it to where the rest of her leg could slide through with no problem. My body screamed as I grunted out pushing the metal and glass doors by force, my adrenaline coursing back through my veins as I finally let go of the door and ducked out of the way.

"You aren't going to be able to stand." Gideon said as he moved to take a glance at the swollen thigh. She had caught her lower thigh just above her knee in the door. How that timing worked I don't know, all I know is that we had to go, now.

"We can carry her. Gideon help me get her up. Then we have to start booking it." I ordered, moving to help Lyla stand, turning around to carry her on my back. Knowing it would be more efficient for running than dragging her body.

"Thank you for being short." Lyla rolled her eyes but clung tight to my neck as I grabbed ahold of the bottom of her thighs carefully.

"Okay, Gideon, stay close. I run fast so I'm going to need you to give me everything you got. Breath as little as possible." I felt Lyla let go of my neck with one arm and grab Gideon's shoulder. His hand coming up to squeeze hers as he nodded at me.

"Okay, let's go." Lyla squeezed tightly as I took off, my feet taking the same path I took to get here. Gideon right beside me as he kept up.

I felt the rumble and creak of metal just before the ceiling supports above us decided to buckle inwards.

"Look out!" I sidestepped and pushed Gideon and myself out of harm's way as Lyla pointed towards the beam that can crashing down just behind us.

"The ship is going to collapse." Lyla continued, coughing slightly in my ear as I tried not to jostle her leg too much.

My back strained as we ran, now more obstacles in our path than before. My protective instinct flaring as I kept grabbing Gideon to keep him from falling or tripping on things.

I was tired, but I pushed that thought from my mind. These kids, these kids needed to get back out. They needed to survive. To live.

"Gideon!" I momentarily let go of Lyla's legs and shoved the boy forward to avoid the beam that crashed just where he had been standing, my hand grabbing his own as I pulled his dazed and exhausted figure along.

"Hold on tight. Both of you. This ship is going down." I shouldn't have said that. But I did, and the flames seemed to like that idea. As I finished my sentence, a loud, reverberating explosion pierced through the ship. The sound and force nearly knocking us off our feet as we staggered around a corner.

"It's just up ahead! This is the straight run!" I yelled over the bending metal, the crackling flames hissing at us in laughter as we tried to escape.

Another explosion followed, this one knocking us off our feet. The two teens went forward as I crashed into the wall making sure to protect Lyla. My head slamming into the metal as I heard their cries and the cries from outside.

My vision running black as I collapsed into a heap. I was so tired, so tired.