Rise From the Ashes

Chapter Three: The Shadow Wolf

(NARRATED BY TRAVIS GUILDER)

Since the old elevator couldn't hold our weight, Sarah and I left our things with Levi and took the ladder together.

"How much higher?" Sarah asked, looking down for a moment.

"Just a bit," I answered, climbing ahead of her. "We're almost—"

Just then, I heard something tear, followed by a yelp. Apparently the rope holding the left side of the ladder had come apart beneath her, leaving her dangling from the lowest foothold remaining.

"A little help here?" she requested with a shaky voice.

"Hold on!" I instructed, sliding down the ladder.

She cursed up a storm. "I don't think I can, Travis! My hand is—ah!"

Right when I was about to grab her by the arm, the foothold started to snap. Luckily, I was able to save her just in time. Aided by a boost of adrenaline, I pulled us over the edge of the wooden floorboard, scraping my arm in the process. Afterward, I lay there on the floor with Sarah piled on top of me, feeling absolutely exhausted and very much in pain.

"Thanks for saving me," she breathed, her eyes glistening. "You're kind of amazing."

Despite how close we were at the time, she was somehow comfortable. I, on the other hand, was not. "Please, get off me," I groaned.

Snapping out of it, Sarah rolled off my body and helped me up from the floor. "I'm so sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to—"

I held up my hand, dusting off my newly torn jeans with the other. "It's fine."

"Sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but are you two all right?"

I turned to see Levi approaching us, his expression a cross between concerned and slightly amused. Meanwhile, Elli stood in the doorway, paying us no mind. However, the appalled expression on her face told me she was by no means indifferent to the situation.

My shoulders slumped. "You didn't see all that, did you?"

Before Levi could answer, Sarah gasped, "Travis, your arm is bleeding!"

"It's nothing," I assured her, covering the spot with the opposite hand. "I'll be fine."

"Oh no, let me help you with that," she insisted. "Where's your first-aid stash?"

Against my wishes, Levi gave her directions. "Got all that?" he asked.

Nodding at him, Sarah ordered, "Go lie down in that hammock over there, Travis. I'll be right back."

"But—"

"I learned first-aid during my four years at Army camp! You can trust me, I swear!"

With that, Sarah took off while Levi left to practice shooting arrows or whatever. Meanwhile, I was left alone with Elli.

"That girl is so... nice to you," she remarked, staring solemnly at the empty doorway. "Do you wonder if she likes you? I bet she does."

"No way!" I laughed. "She's just being nice because I saved her."

Elli scoffed. "You're such a dummy, Travis, you know that? Even after all these years, you still don't have a clue."

"About what?" I asked.

"You wouldn't know whether a girl wanted to go out with you if she shouted it in your ear!"

"Hey, that's not true!"

"Do you think she's pretty?" Elli inquired. "Be honest now."

"What does that have to do with anything?"