Chapter Thirty-Two
The woman’s sobbing grew louder, and she trembled madly, burying her face in her hands, still tied together by the rope.
Ryden placed a hand on her shoulder, frowning at the many scars he could see, especially those on her head. There were two old looking ones above her ears, but he did not want to ask what they were from.
Her skin was pink in odd areas, looking as if she had been punished recently for some deed.
“Aya, what happened?” Ryden asked slowly.
Maria was still holding tightly to Nolan’s shoulder, her face wrinkled in concentration. She glanced briefly to the modified watch strapped to her arm and shook Nolan, shaking faster in growing urgency.
“Maria? What is it?” Nolan asked.
“We need to get out of here soon,” Maria hissed. “Ryden, can’t you ask questions later?”
“What’s the hurry?” Ryden and Keith asked in unison.
“I sort of rigged a few buildings to explode in....” she checked the watch again. “Exactly five minutes and thirty-seven seconds.”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier? I don’t want to die here,” Nolan whined.
“You won’t die!” Keith yelled in his friend’s ear.
“Yeah, of course not Nole, but we’ll have to hurry!” Maria nodded.
Keith sighed and rubbed his forehead in annoyance. He suddenly scooped the weeping woman up in his arms.
“Ryden, we better get moving, now!” Keith exclaimed.
“That way is fastest,” Maria almost sang, pointing down a nearby alleyway. “FIVE MINUTES!” she yelled, shaking Nolan’s arm.
“RYDEN!” Keith exclaimed.
“KILL ME!” the woman shrieked.
“NO!” Ryden, Maria, Nolan and Keith yelled back at the weeping woman, which seemed to silence her.
“I’M COMING!” Ryden yelled, getting up.
“WHY ARE WE YELLING AGAIN?” Maria asked, still yelling for no apparent reason.
“BECAUSE WE MIGHT GET BLOWN UP!” Keith exclaimed angrily. “AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?”
Maria smiled sheepishly and took Nolan by the hand as she took off running, checking over her shoulder to make sure Ryden and Keith were following.
The woman was weeping and hitting Keith’s shoulders, screaming to be put down, but was being blown off completely.
Ryden was having a hard time keeping up with Maria and Nolan, who slowed down for his and Keith’s sake, who was usually the fastest of all, but had to carry somebody now.
“ONE MINUTE!” Maria alerted them to hurry and get as far away as they could from the bombs.
“I’m gonna kill you someday Moor, I swear,” Keith gasped, clutching the stich his side.
“Only if you can catch me!” Maria teased, once again checking her watch. “Five, four, three, two, one-“ she read, her grin growing with every passing moment. “Boom,” she laughed as the explosions went off in the distance.
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Ashes
Mystery / Thriller"Once a being has been named, it has power. Be sure to take care of yours. I'd know how important it is, because I lost mine." Joshua is always fretting over the "what ifs" in life, but never trusts his gut feeling because it's always wrong... at...
