The Spirit Within

Chapter Three: Fire

I whipped my head around to see an orange glow coming from the trees. Flames licked up their branches, charring the bark and leaves. Birds were squawking and fleeing for their lives. It was beautiful and horrifying at the same time.

Reina was on her feet in no time. She had grabbed her small bag filled with necessities, and was dragging Marissa and Holly with her. I honestly didn't care for my belongings, everything that was important was with me at all times. I just followed Reina's lead, bolting away from the fire.

I ran, no, sprinted out of the camp site. The only thing I could think about was my life. I know that sounds selfish, but I was not being burnt to a crisp that day, or any other.

My feet pounded the ground, my heart beating as fast as I moved. Branches flew in my face, slicing my cheeks a few times, but I didn't care. I stumbled over rocks, roots, basically anything that covered the forest floor. I almost lost my footing and fell face first in mud, or what I thought was mud. Leaves tugged on my hair, some getting stuck in the process. I never felt the pain though, no. My mind had flew into complete survival mode.

I never saw Reina, Marissa, or Holly. I had only hoped they made it out of here alive. Just thinking about never seeing my best friend again made tears come to my eyes. None fell though. I knew I would see her again. Reina wouldn't let something like a humongous fire get in her way.

It seemed like hours of running until I finally saw the edge. The truck sat right in front of me, beckoning me forward. I smiled, thinking I had made it. But something made me stop.

A dark shadow flew in the side of my vision. It disappeared and reappeared on the other, only to vanish again. My heart pounding out if my chest, I pushed my legs to their limit. They burned as I ran faster, only to be stopped. My legs betrayed me, and collapsed. The air inside my lungs froze as the shadow stopped in front of me.

I couldn't breath, couldn't talk, couldn't scream. My muscles wouldn't move, my mind was racing, trying to force them to move, do anything. But I couldn't. I felt...

Trapped?

The figure above me moved, as if to cock it's head to the side. I of all things should know how that feels. You feel it too, but you just don't realize it. I can help, if you would like. Just-

Suddenly, my throat started to warm, growing red hot. My throat felt like it was being hurled into the sun, the temperature spreading like wildfire through my body. Once I was at my boiling point, I was thrown into a freezer. A bright light blinded me, causing air to plummet back into my lungs. My vision returned to normal, and I saw a laser of light stabbing the form. A screech, admitted from the creature, filled the forest. It made my ears start to ring.

The beam of light engulfed the figure, turning it pure white. In a brilliant flash, the figure and beam vanished, leaving me in complete silence. I was trying to process all of this when a familiar voice invaded my thoughts.

"Cassandra! Cassandra get out of there now!" Reina's eyes were wide with panic when I spotted her. "Your going to be burned alive!"

That snapped me back to reality. My legs felt like water as I hobbled over to Reina, threatening to give in any second. I whipped my head around when I reached the truck. The flames were a few feet away, nipping at my heels. Reina shoved me into the truck, climbed in herself, then slammed the door shut. The engine roared to life, and we sped off into the night, leaving the raging fire. I swore to myself I would never forget this day, and so far, I've kept that promise.

*A/N: From this point forward, the rest of the story will be written in 3rd person. Sorry, it just seems better than before.*

4 Years Later

"Happy late birthday, Cass," Reina handed a small, multicolored bag to Cassandra. She took it graciously, with a huge smile across her face. The tiny bag barely fit in her palm. Cassandra opened it, her eyes wide with surprise. She pulled out-

"A gift card?" Cassandra said, reading the tiny print on the plastic, "To IHop, worth $10. I was not expecting something this luxurious." She dropped the card back into the bag, and set it on the kitchen counter. She really wasn't that surprised. For the celebration of her 14 birthday, Reina bought her a pair of stud earrings. Too bad Cassandra doesn't have her ears pierced.

"How did you even find this?" A boy standing next to Cassandra asked. He had a quizzical look on his face. "We don't live near an IHop."

"I have my ways, Russ, I have my ways," Reina flipped her short hair and snapped her fingers. "A magician never tells there secrets." Russ raised an eyebrow, and crossed his arms, hoping he would make her crack. Reina stared right back at him, not planning to give in. Her stare seemed to burn through him.

Cassandra sat back and sighed. These two idiots...

Honestly, I don't know how you can handle them.

Cassandra's back stiffened, the hairs on her arms being raised. A tickling feeling was at the back of her mind. "Did you hear that?" She started to rub her arms even though it was almost summer.

"No, why?" Reina didn't break her concentration. Her eyes were still ice as they were locked on Russ, who hadn't moved either. The brunette reluctantly turned her head, breaking her contest. Cassandra saw Russ pump his fist in the air. Never has he won a stare-off with Reina.

"No reason, I thought I heard something," Cassandra lied. The noise, or voice really, had spooked her. But she discarded it as a trick of her mind. "Seriously, where did you find this?" She held the bag in her hand again.

"Okay, okay! It's like you think I'm a drug dealer or something," Reina muttered, making sure the two could hear the last part. "You know when I went on that trip to Pennsylvania?" Cassandra nodded. "I bought it there. I didn't have much cash left, and you know how Gem is when I ask for money-"

"So," Russ narrowed his eyes at Reina, picking up the little pouch, "Instead of first buying the present, you waited until last minute. Again."

"Procrastination strikes again!" Cassandra shook her head slightly while smiling.

"I'm actually not even sure if there's $10 left on that card." Cassandra rolled her eyes at that. Reina shrugged. "I got hungry." Reina stood from the chair she was sitting in. "If you don't want it-"

"No, I want it," Cassandra snatched the bag back from Russ. He stepped back, holding his hands up. "I've heard the pancakes are amazing!" She reached under the table and felt around for her purse. Once she felt the fabric, she pulled the purse out from under there. The purse had rainbow fringe, and an intricate design etched into the cloth. A butterfly was stitched into the middle.

Cassandra stuffed the tiny bag into the biggest pouch, zipping it up and keeping it by her side, making sure no one would lay a hand on it.