Across the Deadzone

Chapter 24: Wystan

Even though I was so tired that I could barely bring myself to move, and every muscle in my body ached, my mind kept racing.
How incredibly rude of it.
It didn't help that the ground was a bit more uncomfortable than I was used to. Still, eventually, I fell asleep to the sight of the stars above me and the sound of the desert bugs chirping.

I was shaken out of a deep, dreamless sleep by Coatés, his face directly above mine. I could see the worry in his eyes, even in the dark.
"We have to get out of here," he said urgently. "There's a storm coming and we won't make it without shelter."
I sat up, brain reeling. "Where do we go?" I asked, throwing the few belongings I'd taken out of my bag back in.
Coatés glanced at me over his shoulder before pointing toward the creepy-looking town. I gulped, looking back at him. "I don't like it either, but it's the only way."
I nodded before turning to wake Ophelia up. Her eyes snapped open, darted to the ground, her lips turned down in a grimace. "Sandstorm," she muttered without me even having to say a word.
"How can you tell?" I asked curiously, getting to my feet. Ophelia stuffed the blanket we'd been sleeping on into her backpack.
She gestured down to the sand without looking at me. When I focused, I could see the sand bouncing, seeming to move endlessly across the desert floor. Just then, an incredibly strong, cold gust of wind slapped against our faces.
"Stevie! Zilla!" O called, her voice even more hoarse than usual. "We gotta move if we wanna make it before the storm really hits!"
Timber stood up, pacing frantically as if she could tell that something was coming.
"I didn't know you were in charge here, young lady," Coatés announced over the gale, and I swear I heard a hint of laughter in his voice, despite the situation. "She's right. We have to get out of here."
Ophelia tossed her bag over her shoulder and grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the town without a second thought. She ran so fast her feet looked like they didn't even touch the ground.
Stevie, Zilla, and I could barely keep up with her. Coatés was back too far to see, especially with the shifting winds and the sand assaulting our skin.
Timber didn't seem to be having a problem. She bounded ahead of us all, periodically stopping to make sure we were still behind her.
As soon as we set foot in the outskirts of the town, thunder rumbled so strongly that it shook the ground. Seconds later, lightning struck just a little too close for comfort.
"Shit!" I heard Ophelia scream over the sound of the wind. She ducked after Timber into the nearest dilapidated building, which was long and squat and looked like it was made of nothing but charcoal. The sun flares had really done a number on this place.
As soon as we got in out of the impending storm, Ophelia released my hand from her grip.
I bent over, hands on my knees in an attempt to catch my breath. Blood roared in my ears, deafening everything around me.
Less than a minute later, Stevie and Zilla stumbled in after us. Their faces were pale and their eyes were wide as if they'd just seen a terrible tragedy. Stevie wrenched the door shut behind us with a grunt.
"Where's Coatés?" I asked. My voice had a slight wheeze to it. I cleared my throat.
The two women glanced at each other, Stevie's jaw clenched and I swear I saw Zilla's bottom lip tremble.
"Something got him," Stevie said, speaking through pursed lips.
"We heard him scream and-" Zilla fell silent for a prolonged moment, staring at the floor with more anger than I had yet seen from her. "And when we looked back Coatés was gone. He literally disappeared."
Ophelia and I shared a look. Our Uber was dead. I couldn't help but think that maybe this was a sign.