Descent into the Abyss

Chapter 15

"I'm telling you, birds aren't real! They're fucking spy drones, man!" A voice suddenly echoed across the silence of the streets.

"Again? Really?" A second voice cut in, annoyance in his voice.

Around the curve, two men of similar stature appeared with a smaller female on their rear.

"Stop talking 'bout the goddamn birds, Damien. Keep your eyes out for Carter," The female cut in. "Dumbass crossed the river."

"Why did he?" The second male asked, shaking his head. "There's plenty of shit back there where he tagged. Why'd he have to go towards the crater?"

"I don't know, Greg," She answered. "That's what I'm gonna be asking him after I kick his ass."

"Come on, Debra. Ya know he's just a stupid kid. If he didn't have the same mut-" Greg paused, throwing a glance back. "Sorry. Ability. He probably wouldn't had tried to go this far out." 

"I know, Greg. That's why I'm gonna kick his ass." Debra replied, jogging past and taking the lead. "I'm the one who took him out on these fucking supply runs to begin with."

"I'm sure he's alright," Damien chimed in. "Those little fuckers are probably watching him loot right now."

"Well," Debra began, turning around and jogging backwards. "I'm gonna scout on up ahead, see something maybe."

"Alright. Gon head now, girl." Damien remarked with a smirk.

Without a response, she spun back around and sped away.

"Goddamn, Greg. Why she gotta look sooo damn good with her back turned?" Damien laughed, wiping the sweat from below his hairline.

"She catch you saying that again, you'll limp away with more than a bruise." Greg warned him, but Damien turned, smiling.

"And that's why I waited til she was outta sight."

Greg shook his head, chuckling softly to himself while in the growing distance, Debra ran full speed.

"Damn you, Carter!" Debra screamed in her mind as a tear streaked down and back.

Her leg muscles continually flexing and expanding as she ran along the abandoned road. A straight stretch revealed nothing out of the ordinary, which was the eerie desolation that now was the norm. Stumbling to a stop, Debra watched as a sudden shower of water rained back down into the river.

"Fuck!" Debra cried out, spinning and stopping.

"I have to find out if we're walking into a trap... But if it is, then what about Carter? Is he dead? Did they kill him?"

A thousand questions and only one option to find out any answers.

"I have to check it out."

******          ******          *******

"Wait until the tension builds," Kou reminded him. "Then I want you to release it straight up."

"How do I direct it like that?" Marcus pondered as he felt the pressure build more.

"Just picture it in your mind. Imagine the water rising through your fingers, a geyser shooting into the sky."

As the pressure built, Marcus closed his eyes and pictured his hand in front of him. Just before releasing the energy, Marcus flexed his fingers, imagining as Kou had instructed. The sudden pressure pushed his hand under the water's surface, opening his eyes in surprise.

"Kou!" Marcus cried out in joy as the geyser shot into the air, several dozen feet overhead.

"Great job, Marcus," Kou responded.