The Nibiru Effect

Memory 98

My heart hammers against my ribcage. My muscles are flexed like springs ready to unfurl. Tears run down my cheeks. My hands shake. Beads of cold sweat coat my brow. I'm terrified, yet I know what must be done.

I'm about to leap into the abyss when a panicked voice reaches my ears.

"WILL!"

The voice sounds familiar, yet I can't make out where it comes from. Smoke rises from the volcano, filling the air and obscuring my vision. My eyes sting, though I can't tell if it's because of the smoke or the tears. It doesn't matter. I must find the source of the voice. I look around, but there's nothing. I'm just about to give up when, finally, I see her.

Kara.

She emerges from the smoke like a spirit from the darkness. Her face is stained with blood and grime, but she's unhurt. So is Jonn. He stands behind her, a broad smile curling his lips. If I didn't know any better, I would swear he's happy to see me.

"You didn't think we'd abandon you, did you?" he asks.

I can't believe it. They're alive. I don't know how they survived, but at the moment, it matters little.

"You have to jump," says Kara. She's smiling, but I can tell she's worried. Does she know I was planning on killing myself or is she merely worried the tower will collapse before we can escape?

"It's too far," I say.

"We'll catch you," insists Jonn. He kneels next to Kara and offers me a helping hand. It's too far for me to grab, but it's the gesture that counts.

"Okay," I agree. I trust Kara and Jonn with my life. If they say I can make it, then I can.

Kara kneels next to her father and offers me a hand. I take a moment to visualize the jump, then I leap.

Surprisingly, but the scariest part isn't sailing through the air. Nor is it when gravity grabs hold of me and yanks me downward. It's when I realize I won't make it.

My friends reach out to me, but they're too far. Kara cries out in desperation. So do I. Only Jonn remains silent. Dropping to his stomach, he uses his lower centre of gravity to lean farther over the edge. Bracing himself against the wall with one hand, he uses the other to grab hold of me just as I'm about to go out of reach.

I can't believe it. Jonn saved me. Again.

"Thanks," I say as I hang there. The grey-haired soldier is the only thing standing between me and a plummet to certain death.

"You can thank me later," he grunts. He may be strong, but even he can't hold me forever. The trembling of his bulging muscles tells me he's running out of strength. Luckily, Kara comes to his aid moments before his tired body gives out. Together, they manage to pull me onto what remains of the staircase.

We collapse into a heap of human limbs and count our blessings. But the reprieve is only momentary. The tower begins shaking mere seconds after I'm pulled to safety.

"We have to get out of here," says Kara as she leaps to her feet. I'm weak and sore, but the adrenaline keeps me going. I even manage to help Jonn to his feet, which is a feat not easily accomplished. Together, we hurry down the stairs. More than once I lose my footing because of the tremors, but every time there's someone there to offer me a helping hand. We keep going until, finally, we reach the bottom of the staircase.

The building collapses mere seconds after we emerge from it. The walls cave in and the entire structure vanishes into the volcano in a mess of dust and shattered stone. Soon, nothing remains of Avalon's once great tower.