Hellfire (The Flash - Book 2) [RE-UPLOAD]

Chapter 23 - The Runaway Dinosaurs

I opened my eyes, gasping as I woke up and looked around in confusion, wondering where I was. I sat up, shocked to see that I was in my old bedroom in my childhood home.

Getting off the bed, I walked around, seeing all the things I had when I was a child.

I went downstairs, chuckling softly as I saw a picture of me with my parents, remembering all the happy memories we shared in this house.

My smile faded when I entered the living room, seeing fire damage on the walls and burn marks on the furniture.

But most surprising of all, I saw Patty, wearing her police uniform.

"Patty?" I asked, shocked to see her.

Patty looked at me, smiling. "Good to see you, Zoe. But I'm not Patty."

"You're not?" I asked.

"No," Patty answered.

"And all of this . . ." I trailed off, looking around. "It's not real?"

"How do you feel, being back here?" Patty asked.

I looked around, my eyes watering as I felt guilty for being the cause of the fire. "I feel awful."

Patty walked closer. "We thought you'd be more comfortable talking to someone who looked familiar and in a place you knew."

"We?" I repeated. "Who is we exactly?"

"That's a little hard to explain," Patty said. I nodded. "Sit, Zoe. Sit." We both sat down. "How much do you know about the Speed Force and the Blaze Force?"

"The Speed Force is the source of a speedster's power and the Blaze Force is the source of a flare's power," I told her.

Patty smiled, pointing at me. "Yes. When the first sub-atomic particle sprang forth from the Big Bang to form reality as you know it, we were there. When the last proton decays, stops vibrating and plunges the universe into heat death, we'll be there, too."

"I'm talking to the Blaze Force?" I asked.

Patty nodded. "Just like Barry is talking to the Speed Force. See, these two Forces, they're connected, not unlike a breach connecting two Earths. You can get to Barry from here and he can also reach you from where he is. You just need to find the path." I stood, overwhelmed. "You need a minute? It's okay if you do. It's a lot to take in."

"So, you're saying I'm talking to the source of my power, which just so happens to look like my childhood friend? And that Barry is somewhere in the Speed Force, talking to the source of his power, and we can find each other if we find the right path that'll allow us to crossover between Forces? That's trippy."

Patty laughed. "We pretty much invented trippy here."

"Look, I'm not sure why you brought me here, but you need to send me back," I said. "My friends are in danger from Zoom and Hellfire." I heard whooshing outside and looked towards the windows. "Did you see that?"

I saw something bright pass the window, looking at Patty.

"You're not going back and you won't be able to find Barry," Patty told me. "Not until . . ."

"Until what?" I asked.

Patty stood. "Until you catch that."

Patty pointed outside.

I glanced at Patty before running towards the door, seeing a bright figure fly down the road.

I walked outside and went to follow whatever that thing was. If it was the only way to find Barry and get back home, then I have to catch it.