Flames And Blades

Chapter Twenty Three: Red

The motorcycle ride itself turned out to be quite long. By my estimation an hour or two, only I probably zoned out after twenty minutes, thinking, strangely enough, of the sky, I kept seeing around me. All other roads and vehicles seemed to be nonexistent on the expressway we were riding on. And, I realize, that, with everything going on in town, I hadn't thought to see its effects outside of town. Which turned out to almost post-apocalyptic, in a somewhat peaceful way. The people, without the clouds forming, deserted everything, and just stayed in and around their home.

When we got back to the camp, we had to switch into a car, one that Warrison wordlessly insisted on driving, and without question, Luce, Adam and Trevor hopped into the back. I was beginning to get anxious after sitting so long without being able to move and was twitching around different angles to see where we were going.

"Why did you run?" Warrison asks, with a quieted and forced polite tone, a suggestion that he probably had a lot more questions on his mind, but is holding back for some unknown reason. Trying to delay my answer, I realize that the three of my crew have fallen asleep in the back.

"Because I had to get the books and you guys had other stuff to do." A justifiable answer on my part. He just stares dead ahead, completely poker-faced.

"Then where are they now?" Shit.

"They burned, along with the rest of grams' house." At this, he pulls over the car, melodramatically in my opinion at this point.

"Your grandmas' house did what?" A slight twinge of panic hitting his tone. But I had already told him I blew up the house, so this level of shock became almost annoying to me.

"So, I planned on getting these three books my grandma had given me, but some strange shit happened and I got delayed. When I finally got to the house, these men were there- they knew me and they-they weren't human. They also wouldn't leave and scared me, so I blew the house up before they tried anything." He looked at me, the same way he did after the car accident, then pulls back into the non-existent oncoming traffic and drives on, quietly.

"Where are we going?" Luce mumbles, just waking up. Adam and Trevor stirring on either side of her.

"A hotel. We need the rest and Indi needs to be checked out." Warrison deadpans.

"Why? What?" Adam and Trevor ask, at the same time and then glare at each other. Warrison just looks back and responds.

"She used her powers at camp before she left, she then used them again at her house and then fought harder than any of us combined back there. Her not being exhausted from this all concerns me. When she first used them at camp, she slept dead for twelve hours and ate everything in site. Now she's awake alert and not eating." The three in the back look at me, quietly, and then down at their laps.

"How do you know this?" I ask, a little put off by how he pinpointed it all.

"Observations, try to rest, your freezing." He turns up the heat and I follow the suit he wants me to play. Leaning against the window and closing my eyes, I'm still too hyper to sleep so I opt for sitting still.

When we get to the cheap motel, there's only one room left, and everyone was treating me like a dainty rose petal. I start to become thoroughly pissed off by this but all I can manage for the burning flame is a shutter in the cold. My four persons glance at each other then and then jump into a mini form of action. Luce taking the keys and leaving me alone with these three toddlers. Warrison takes my arm, like a vintage gentleman, accept most gentlemen don't have two men flanking them while they do this. They then lead me to the motel room and Warrison sits me on the single twin bed in it. Trevor and Adam bouncing around their positions; first leaning on the doorframes then moving to the window or even laying down on the other end of the bed for dramatic purposes.