Darkness Rising (fanfic) (4th book in Destiny series)

Chapter 6: Escape

"Ugh.. all of the exits are blocked," Ericka complained to Atom, "how are we going to get out?" Atom looked around at the smoldering building, and closed his eyes. Ericka was deeply confused, "This is no time for a nap." He didn't respond, he just got down on one knee and touched the floor with a hand. A moment later he opened his eyes and got up,

"There is a sewer system that runs underneath the building." He explained to her.

"A sewer system?" She said in disgust.

"It's our only way out." He said, holding his hand out. She took it slowly and they sprinted down the hallway, avoiding the falling debris from the ceiling.

Outside, Drac had teleported into the parking lot with a disapproving look on his face,

"Atom can't do ONE THING without setting SOMETHING on fire." He said, busting through the front door. He was shocked by how much rubble was everywhere. He looked around, and hopped out of the way of a falling ceiling beam. All of this was starting to bring back horrible memories, he had tried so hard to forget. The heat...flames..crumbling building. He started to breathe faster as he remembered Martha...and how she died. He clutched his head with his hands, and tried to control his emotions. He finally got a grip over himself and decided, "i'm not going to let it happen again." He peered down the nearest hallway and saw something through the heat of the scorching fire. Two people were sitting down on the ground, and disappearing beneath the floor. He hopped over the flames carefully and saw how the two people slipped away, it was a sewer grate. He didn't have time to figure out what it was because the building started to collapse around him. He dove head first into the hole as the building covered the hole. he also didn't know that there was a ladder leading down about 30 feet. He fell screaming past Atom and Ericka who watched him fall head-first into the mucky water below.

"Sweetie?!" Ericka cried down to him. He lifted his head out of the water and looked back up at them,

"If my name was 'Sweetie' then yes it would be me." He said. They slid down the ladder and she helped him up. She hugged him as if he were a stuffed toy. Your squeezing all the life left in me out." He said in a strained voice. She released him and he hugged her harder.

"Now you're doing it to me!" She said tightly. He chuckled and let her go. "Why did you come into the building?" She asked.

"Well because i saw it was on fire and i wanted to make sure you were ok." He said.

"But I was with Atom..I was safe," She said, Atom walking up next to her, "you don't trust Atom..do you?" Drac let out a pained sigh and looked her in the eye,

"Not with your life I don't." Atom stepped closer to him as if he was challenging him,

"I actually SAVED her life for your information." Atom said to Drac's face. Drac was about to make a furious retort, but he saw Ericka's face and snapped his mouth shut. She stepped forward,

"Show him the tablet." She instructed Atom. He handed Drac the tablet stiffly. Drac looked at the tablet and looked confused.

"How do they know so much?" He asked. She only shrugged and Atom took the tablet back. Then they got a cold feeling that they were being watched.

"Do you get the feeling....That were being watched?" Ericka asked. They all looked around, and saw nothing. They heard the echo of water splashing against something down the far left tunnel. They froze as the sound got closer and faster.

"Why are we just standing here?!" Atom exclaimed, "we need to RUN!" They all silently agreed and ran into the far right tunnel. The thing that was running down the tunnel was a rat, but it was running from someone, or something. It turned out to be the Darkness, and it had grown bigger.