Ignite

Prologue

Suburbs, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States of America

“Barton, get back here!” Shirley roared angrily. “Don't you go runnin' off again!”

Barton ran from the small, broken-down excuse of a house he lived in. He grabbed his rusty old bicycle that was much too small for him and pedaled away from his nightmare.

Normally, after escaping his abusive mother, his heartbeat would slow, but today, it only quickened with every pedal.

His worn backpack thumped against his back every time he rode over a bump. His backpack was always stuffed―not with school supplies or dirty magazines, like a normal 13 year old boy would have, but with several raggedy T-shirts, a pair of jeans and a variety of canned soups.

When Barton could no long stand his mother's abusive ways and needed a quick escape, he could grab his pack and ride away on his old bike.

He rode over a particularly rocky bump in the center of the dirt path he was riding on. He knew this path like the back of his hand―better than the back of his hand because the red marks on his hands were always changing.

He would ride for hours, camp out somewhere until he could find the courage to return home. But this time was different, the pit of dreadful and horrifying snakes that seemed to live in his stomach was gone, replaced by a strange urge. The urge told him to keep riding, to flee Tulsa, to flee Oklahoma altogether. The urge was so strong, it was more than an urge, it was almost like a compulsion. It felt like something was compelling him, pulling him closer and closer. He just didn't know what.

To say he was being forced to go there, that he was unwilling, would be a lie, because Barton was willing to do anything if it meant escaping his family and Tulsa.

Underground, The Middle Of Nowhere, Nova Scotia, Canada

The creaking sound was a hidden door, camouflaged by a mess of greenery.

Clare shoved her way through the swinging vines hanging from the ceiling. She stopped for a moment, resting her back on the cold, cement wall that surrounded her.

Her body was tired, but her mind wasn't. Ever since she had found the hidden tunnels under her late grandparents' manor, she hadn't been able to sleep or eat.

Considering that was over a day ago, to say she wasn't feeling great would be an understatement.

Clare pushed a strand of her auburn hair behind her red ear. She had been running through this mysterious jungle for what seemed like forever and she was burning up.

Her lank auburn hair stuck to her sweaty neck and face, her ears and nose were bright red from the heat and her heart was pounding.

She knew she should stop and rest for awhile, but she couldn't. She really couldn't. She had to get there.

The tunnels were bizarre, to say the least. They were abnormally wide for underground passages, the greenery and swinging vines seemed endless, and the sound of rushing water made no sense.

Clare knew she needed to go back. She had a life. Graduation was only a few days away, she was finally engaged to the love of her life and she had been accepted at Harvard. That was more than most of her classmates could say.

And what was worse, was that she was throwing it all away, for what? A stupid journey through a stupid tunnel of leaves?

Clare stopped in her tracks, she had to go back. What was she even doing here?