Beyond The Sky

14

I awaken in the brightness of the hospital. The light shining in my eyes is so bright. I look around, seeing a few of my friends in the room with me. Specifically Andy and Simon, but also my best friend, Lance. They must have called him to let him know I was here. There's no other way he would've known. "Lance...?" I look toward him, and he smiles at me.

"Arlo! I'm glad you're still here. We were so scared we were going to lose you."

"You heard about the first one...?"

"Andy told me everything."

"Dang." I look over at Andy. "He's quick." He nods in agreement with me.
"As he should be." Lance laughs. "Kind of important to be quick for a job like that."

"That's true." I smile back at him, taking a deep breath. I really shouldn't continue to do that. Still hurts.

I look at my arms. They're covered in burns from when the fire was trying to follow me out of the house. That's never going to heal...

"You're probably going to be here a while," Simon starts, "the fall hurt ya pretty badly."
"No duh, Simon." I roll my eyes at him.

"We just hope to keep you around, Arlo." Quinn says from the back. How many of these guys actually stayed?

"Right..."

"Well, we better get going. Lance, feel free to stay here with him, okay?" Andy says.

"Roger that, sir. Thank you for letting me know." Lance nods his head toward the three of them. "I will let you know if there are any updates on him."

Andy nods and Simon and Quinn follow him out of the room.

"I hope you're doing well, Lance," I say. "It's been a while since we've last talked."

"Sure has been. I totally didn't think that the next time we would talk... Would end up with me visiting you in the hospital."

"I didn't either. I never planned on it."

"I am doing well, though, by the way."
"That's good. Hey, have you--" I coughed pretty hard from the smoke I inhaled in the house. "Have you met your soulmate yet?"

"No. I'm pretty sure she's gone..."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I met mine this week."
"Really? That's awesome. Tell me about her."

"Well..." I smile a bit at the thought of her. "Her name is Serena. She's only a few months older than me, and she has a twin brother named Spencer, who found his soulmate online about a year ago." I pause. "She's very sporty, musical, smart, and kind. The only reason I met her was because she had gotten lost downtown... and I happened to be right around there, too."

"That's really cute, Arlo. I hope you guys are happy."

"I know she is. I heard that this weekend, starting today, she and her brother were going to meet his soulmate who came from overseas."

"That's cool. I hope they're having fun."

"Me, too."