Code: 16B

Chapter Twenty Four

Twenty-Four

    I didn’t know where the light was coming from, but I know that it was shinning so bright it would only have to be the sun. I could be dead, or I was still alive, and the light is showing me the way out. Either way, I had no idea.

    I still couldn’t move my limbs, so I must be dead. But I could feel my heart beating, so I must be alive. But I didn’t want to question any of it. I just stared at the light. I know that I shouldn’t go into the light as they said, but something within me wants me to head towards it like it’s showing me the exit.

    Then, I heard someone calling my name. I tried to look, but I couldn’t. The light disappeared after my name breached the air, and I could feel something or someone pounding on my chest as something warm on my mouth filling me with air like a balloon. The voice kept calling my name, saying, “Amanda, c’mon, breathe.” The voice sounded worried, and yet, strangely familiar.

    I should know this voice. I could see his face, but I just couldn’t put a name to it.

    “Violet, keep pumping her chest.” The voice commanded, and the thumping kept coming, this time a lot harder than the last time.

    Violet? Then, I remembered what had happened, and how I ended up here. But most importantly, I remembered his voice.

    I could feel his soft, warm lips on mine as he blew air down my throat, and into my lungs. I knew that it was his voice that commanded Violet to do the chest compressions. But more importantly, I knew that it was Cyrus giving me mouth to mouth.

    My eyes began to flutter open as a painful shiver went through me. And when I see him over me, his deep dark eyes showing signs of relief as he pulled away to see that I’m awake. He silently ordered Violet (who I noticed is wet from head to toe) to stop, and as I take a big mouthful of air I wound up coughing up some of the cold water I’d swallowed. And I began to shake violently.

    “She needs warmth.” Cyrus said. And before Violet could do anything about it, he stripped off his shirt, revealing his perfectly muscled chest as he carefully picked me up off the ground, and held me close to his warm skin.

    “Let’s get out of here, this place is going to blow!” I heard Garrett’s voice shouting, and before I could open my mouth to ask what he meant, Cyrus and Violet took off running.

    “C-Cyrus?” I shivered. I also noticed that my voice sounded weak, and hoarse. But before I could add more, he simply hushed me. “Amanda it’s okay. It’s over.” He said soothingly, and yet I could tell that his voice hinted worry.

    I tried to close my eyes, to try and block out the horrible near death experience that had just happened not long ago, but I couldn’t help but hear the distinctive sounds of explosions. And they didn’t sound very far away. I tried to peek around Cyrus’s buff body, but I couldn’t see anything other than some of the black walls, and a soft orange/yellow glow.

    Then, before I knew it, we were already outside, and I could see the large building turning orange, like fire on the rooftops in the night sky. In a weird way, it reminded me of fireworks on the Fourth of July, or at midnight on New Years Eve. The orange color began to light up the sky after a really loud boom sounded, hurting my ears even when I tried to cover them.

    “C’mon, the van’s ready, and I don’t think Abigail doesn’t want to wait any longer.” I heard Violet said moments after the explosion.

    Cyrus continued to carry me as he walked, and he didn’t let go, even when we got inside the van and wrapped me in a bunch of towels he didn’t let me go. I was glad that he never let go of me.