RAIN

Chapter ten

They hurried up a gently sloping hill shielded from the brunt force of the storm by the thick cover of trees. He concentrated on the sound of his breathing, the memory of the skull still fresh in his mind.

From between the trees, the view of the ocean slowly came to light. The visual of the massive waves hammering the shoreline was astounding. The ground trembled under their might.

"Mind the rocks," Rain said.

Jet smirked. "Am I that clumsy?"

"You can be."

"How do you know that?"

He stopped and looked back at Jet, his mouth pulled to one side.

Jet huffed, remembering himself tripping on the coconut.

"Give me the lantern." He extended his hand and Jet reluctantly listened. Rain took the lantern and continued leading the way.

The place felt strangely peaceful. His nerves settled for the moment.

"Thank you for helping me," Rain said.

"It's the least I can do."

They started scaling a mountain of rocks piled atop each other. It seemed to stretch out through the entire length of the forest.

"Do you want to tell me why they were after you?" Jet asked.

"All I can tell you is that I sinned in his eyes."

"Who?"

"My grandfather."

"The man with the machete?"

"Yes."

Jet pursed his lips out as he pulled himself over the pile of rocks.

"Looks like a child beater."

Rain looked back at him with a chiding stare. "He's a lot more than that, so don't become cocky."

"What's going on out here?"

"I told you, didn't I? This place is cursed."

Jet shook his head in disbelief and they continued walking.

    The forest slowly revealed its secrets to him. Pieces of buildings jutted out from the ground, covered in vines and saplings. He started to imagine where he was when the towering silhouette of a building took form in front of him. As Rain shone the lantern in its direction, he gaped at the faded white walls and the domed roof that stretched up to the sky. Its facade was littered with pieces of shredded homes and people's items. A large hole presented itself in the side wall. Jet stared in awe at this heart-wrenching sight.

"There's a door there." Rain pointed and he looked past the hole. "We can barricade it and wait for the storm to pass. Unless... they find us here."

Jet looked out at the swaying trees of the restless forest. The raindrops lashed at him like hale.

"They're not far away," Jet said.

"I know. They won't stop until they find us."

"Then let's get a move on."

He crossed over the mound of rubble and debris and made his way through the hole in the wall. He stood there for a moment, trying to envision the powerful force that had taken down something so solid.

He walked to the rigid double doors and pushed at them with his body. The little resistance that they gave surrendered quickly.

Slabs of wood and pieces of furniture crashed to the ground as the doors swung open and Jet realized in that instant that no one had been here since the flood.