Lost Amongst Many

Chapter 44

-Mitch's POV-
Preston settled himself back into his little tree stump he'd found a couple years ago, and fell asleep with the slime in the doorway.

Even though Preston'd brought the slime, his actions gave me the impression that Preston didn't fully trust the slime. It was young enough, and to see it alone was odd.

I was leaning on Jerome in front of the den opening when a rattling BOOM shook the tree, making dirt rain down on us.

Jerome raised his head to the roof. Satisfied it was nothing, he laid back down.

A second thrum came through, and a loud cracking sound followed. This time both of us stood up and as soon as we got to the opening, the rain came down in sheets.

It immediately started to puddle and rise in the meadow, since the meadow was in a depression. I turned to Jerome, slightly panicked.

"Preston." We said in unison.

I slung myself up onto Jerome's back and he bolted through the sleet to the stump.

We found the slime soaked, and Preston steaming.

His feet and shoulders had turned to obsidian already and the obsidian was climbing his limbs in the puddle.

I got off Jerome and pulled Preston into my jacket, covering him completely with my body. I grabbed the slime and ran to Jerome.

I caught his fur as he pivoted, and we were suddenly back in the den.

I carried a shivering Preston to the small chunk of dry hay we always kept, and laid him in it, my jacket draped over him. When he settled into it, I was sure the water would all soak into the hay and my jacket soon enough. I went to bed, the slime sleeping on the dirt floor by the hay.

I woke up to something I didn't expect. And didn't like.

Preston was sick. Like- flu symptoms sick. He looked awful. And the water hadn't collected in the hay like I'd thought.

Because it was no longer water.

It was obsidian. A strong sediment made of lava and water. You can't take water out of obsidian.

Overnight, the rain had pooled to reach the bottom edge of the den's opening.

And Preston's situation had gotten worse.

The lava was dimmed, his eyes looked a dull grey instead of black, and the obsidian had crawled up to his stomach area.

I knew from past research that the obsidian was going to stop his organs and eventually kill him if nothing stopped it and warmed him up. It was getting worse by the second.

I grabbed a blanket from my niche and pulled Preston out of my jacket and the hay.

I wrapped the blanket around him and he didn't acknowledge that he'd been moved. He didn't even move.

"Preston."

He looked at me slowly.

"Mitch?"

"You okay?"

I know. Dumb question. But I had to ask. Common courtesy.

"Not good. Really not good." He muttered.

"I'm gonna get you to Kara. She can help."

I collected him in the blanket and I pulled my jacket on, my hood up. Jerome ran us to the edge of the city, where I carried Preston to Kara and Kenny's house.

She let me in immediately, took one look at Preston and took him from me.

"Relax and stay here. Kenny is still asleep and I have a friend who can help a lot more than me."

She ran out the door.