From the Ash Read online

  "Family?"

  "In a matter of speaking," I replied.

  "Ahh. Boyfriend, fiancé, husband?"

  Boy, isn't he nosey.

  I sat down across from Gary and took my pack off, placing it next to me. I unzipped it, making sure my Sais were visible. One false move from him and they would be at his throat.

  I took out a bottle of water, and had a long, refreshing swig. "Who knows? We talked about it before I went off to college, but..." I waved a hand back towards the groaning metal doors, slamming every so often. Gary just nodded his head as if he understood, his eyes foggy. I deliberately changed the subject, not wanting to discuss this any longer.

  I cleared my throat. "Anyway..." I reached into my pack, pulling forth a marker and a map of the United States. I unfolded the map, spreading it between us.

  Gary scooted over, sitting to my right. I watched him closely. "What's this red line?" he asked, tracing a finger along it.

  "My journey," was all I could think of to say.

  "You walked from–” he looked at the map again, "Los Angeles?"

  I nodded. "It's where I was when the bombs went off."

  "Bombs?" he asked.

  I looked at him, searching his face to see if he was just toying with me. "Don't you know what happened?"

  "Of course I do." He pointed up.

  When I shook my head, not understanding, he simply replied,

  "God."

  "You think God is responsible for all that’s happened?"

  He shook his head. "He's not responsible, we are." He pointed at me and then to himself. “Humans. He's had enough."

  I changed my mind. Keep this guy around. He’s hilarious.

  "If you say so." I didn't want to get into a debate with him. Let him think what he wants. "Where are we, Gary?" I asked, pointing at the end of the red line.

  "In Chaz's father's store–”

  I sighed. "The map, Gary."

  "Oh." He looked down, tapping his finger in northern Texas. "Amarillo."

  My calculations weren't far off. I thought we'd be a little more north, maybe in Oklahoma or Kansas, but at least we were going in the right direction.

  "Where are you trying to get to?"

  I looked longingly towards my destination, my reason for putting one foot in front of the other. The faces of those I loved gave me the strength to continue on. I was determined not to give up so that I could see their faces with my own eyes again.

  When we fall, we rise.

  I tapped the very tip of northeastern edge of the map. "Home. Bar Harbor, Maine."

  Chapter 6

  From Dreams to Nightmares

  * * *

  GARY WHISTLED, "THAT'S a long way to go."

  "Yeah, but it’s home," I replied, grabbing my water bottle, taking a few sips.

  He nodded, yawning loudly. "Do you think your family is there?" He motioned towards the map.

  I swallowed. "Yes, I don't doubt it for a second. They'll be there," I answered quickly.

  To think otherwise...

  You know we're here, waiting for you.

  "So...that means you're not planning on staying here?" he asked slowly.

  I think he was hoping you’d move in.

  I looked at him a moment before replying. "No, I'm not. As soon as this storm ends and I grab some sleep, I'll be on my way."

  He nodded, as if that answer satisfied him. He yawned again, shaking his head from side to side. "I think the pills are starting to kick in. I'm going to lay down before I fall over."

  He looked as if he was going to say more, but crawled towards his cot instead.

  Maybe he was going to ask you to spoon.

  I took another sip of water, watching Gary for a few moments before turning my attention back to the map. I stared at the red line, wanting nothing more than to draw it towards home and hope I would somehow morph there.

  Maybe tap your heels together? Check their supplies for ruby slippers!

  How long is it going to take me to get there? It's been over a year and I've only made it through three states. Gary snored loudly, startling me from my thoughts. I blinked rapidly, my eyelids getting heavier by the second. I didn't realize how tired I was. I took one last longing look at my destination before folding the map back up and placing it in my pack.

  Looking at the two empty cots, I contemplated laying down on either of them. Not having slept in anything that remotely resembled a bed for quite some time, it was tempting.

  It’s not like those other two are going to use 'em.

  Finally, I shook my head, slid next to my pack, and nestled myself against the cold wall. My vision began to get foggy as I tried to take one last sip of water. The bottle rolled from my fingertips as I brought it to my lips. My eyes began to shut slowly, sleep finally had me in its sweet embrace, and I gladly gave myself willingly, not wanting to keep it waiting any longer.

  "BABE, PASS ME a napkin. Dumb cone broke on the bottom."

  I opened my eyes slowly, blinking rapidly as a familiar face appeared beside me, resting comfortably in a chair.

  "Kip?"

  "The one and only," he replied.

  Perfectly white teeth showed behind a smile that made me want to melt into a puddle.

  "I'm dreaming..." I whispered, still staring at him. I was afraid if I looked away, he would vanish.

  An amused expression crept onto his face. "I've told you before, I answered your prayers to the Sandman." He waved a hand over himself. "You're welcome."

  He looked exactly how I remembered him. Those captivating sky blue eyes, long, brown unkempt hair and five o'clock shadow, that gave him an "I don't care" look. His adorably small nose with the cut on the left nostril. I realized he was shirtless, showing off his toned–

  He snapped his fingers. "Babe, eyes up here. I'm not some piece of meat that you can just gawk over."

  I grinned. "Like a prime porterhouse, ready to be served," I replied, smacking my lips and rubbing my hands together.

  He feigned hurt. "Now that's just rude. I've got feelings you know. Below–“

  “–the belt, in your pants type feelings. Ha-ha." I cut him off, mocking him.

  He snapped his mouth closed, scrunching his lips together. "Harrumph," he said playfully, "Can I just have a damn napkin?"

  I looked down; a stack of napkins rested on my lap, along with an empty cup and a spoon. Picking the cup up, I read the label "Wanda & Bill's Chocolate Emporium." My favorite ice cream...And that's when I realized where I was, my favorite place.

  Home.

  We sat on a large, oval shaped grassy knoll overlooking the harbor. Exotic flowers outlined dazzling marble walkways all around. The ocean emerged before us as waves beat against a dozen or so ships, sitting just beyond the docks. People milled about everywhere, a group of kids played catch nearby, an older couple walked their dog, a young boy and girl sat together on a bench, holding hands. Various shops and restaurants were bustling with activity as people came and went from each store.

  Just as I remembered.

  No ash.

  No dust.

  Just my beautiful home.

  I could feel the tears trickle from my eyes as I shut them, running down my cheeks and touching my lips. "This has to be real," I wailed, on the verge of completely breaking down. When Kip didn't answer after a few moments, I opened my eyes. He still sat in his chair, facing forward, looking towards the sky. His head was tilted slightly, with a look of bewilderment.

  "Kip?"

  He didn't answer.

  I noticed everyone was looking upwards as well, all wearing the same dumbfounded expression. Finally, I looked up. At first, I didn't realize what I was staring at. It was if the sun was moving rapidly across the clear blue sky, trailed by a line of vapor, as if it were a jet flying high above. And that's when my euphoric dream became a hellish nightmare.

  I jumped out of my chair. "Run! We must find shelter underground! It's the only way we'll survive."

  No one moved.

  I grabbed Kip's arm, frantically trying to pull him to his feet. "Kip, please. I can't lose you. You and daddy are the only reason I've survived this long. Get up, please!" I wailed, tugging with all of my might. But he wouldn't budge.

  The trajectory of the missile dipped, darting downward.

  I kicked, punched, anything I could do, but Kip…no one would move.

  "You're all going to die!" My throat felt as if it would burst as my scream pierced the air.

  I sank to my knees, watching as the missile collided with the sea, sending a geyser of water upward.

  At first, nothing happened.

  BOOM!

  The sky lit up orange as a shockwave of power sent everyone tumbling to the ground. A tidal wave of death descended upon my home, devouring everything in its path. I watched as the ocean was turned into a sea of fire. Trees, boats, buildings, and people began disintegrating in front of my eyes. I turned to Kip, but nothing more than a pile of ash occupied his seat. I ran a hand through it, watching it pass through my fingers like sand in an hourglass. I narrowed my eyes, roaring as the wave of destruction came towards me, defying it to try and take me.

  "Come on!”

  MY EYES DARTED open, my senses on high alert as a figure stood before me, an arm raised above its head.

  Look out!

  I felt my head snap to the side, pain erupting in my skull.

  No! Phoenix, get up!

  I tried to move, but my body wouldn't obey. I began to drift back into unconsciousness as a voice spoke.

  "This is for my brother, you bitch."

  Chapter 7

  Hell Hath no Fury Like a Woman Scorned

  * * *

  PHOENIX...

  My eyes slowly opened at the sound of my father's
voice. My vision was blurry as the room spun around me, my stomach rising into my throat, threatening to release its contents onto the floor. My head felt like it had been split in two. Horrific pain pulsated within my skull, like a terrible heartbeat of agony.

  Focus on your breathing.

  I did as he instructed, inhaling deeply through my nose and exhaling through my mouth. Finally, after a few moments, I opened my eyes again. Slowly, the room came into focus. The pain in my head began to wane, allowing my brain to process my current situation. I sat on the floor, the same spot I'd fallen asleep. My feet were bound together tightly with duct tape, my hands fastened behind me. Gary was nowhere in sight, but I heard noises coming from the room adjacent to where I sat.

  I noticed the mirror sitting on the opposite wall. I quickly looked myself over. Dry blood caked my hair and forehead, running down the left side of my face. My feet were bare and I wiggled my toes, making sure I had feeling in them and that they would answer my call; they did.

  I still had my pants on, no pain coming from my legs. I looked to my torso, my eyes narrowing as I realized I was down to my sports bra. It wasn't that realization that puzzled me, but the fact that someone had drawn on me. My ribs and stomach were outlined with thick black dotted lines. An image of a pig with similar outlines around its body, descriptions of what could be made from each section, popped into my head.

  "What the fuck," I whispered, my heart beating a little bit faster. Panic beginning to set in like a tick, threatening to bury itself and suck me senseless.

  You will stay calm. Focus, Phoenix. Remember what I taught you.

  My father's authoritative yet nurturing voice filled my mind. I honed in on it, harnessing it like a beacon of hope, soothing my fears.

  Now…what do we do first?

  "Assess the situation."

  Good.

  I needed to get my hands free. I ran my fingers against the material that bound my wrists. It was duct tape, same as what held my feet. I looked around my immediate vicinity, trying to find something I could cut it with. When I didn't see anything that looked usable, I noticed I was sitting a few feet away from the corner of the wall. I realized it wouldn't be sharp enough to cut through the material, but there were steps that led down into another room.

  A plan began to formulate in my brain.

  I pulled my hands together as tightly as I could, wiggling them back and forth as I shimmied towards the stairs. Just as I began to make some progress, the door across the room swung open. Gary exited the room, his back to me as he pulled a small cart. It sat too high for me to catch a glimpse of the contents, but I was sure that they had something to do with the markings on my body.

  When he cleared the doorway, he moved to the side. My eyes widened in horror at the sight within the room. A body sat naked, tied to a chair. Its dark-grey skin indicated it had been lifeless for some time. No head was visible, a stump of a neck sat vacant. The chest was opened in an upside down V-shape; the ribs and organs were gone, leaving the body hollow. Small pieces of skin were intact at the hips, the only thing that appeared to connect its upper half to its lower.

  I swallowed, trying to bury my fear deep within my gut.

  Gary shut the door and turned. He raised an eyebrow. "You're awake? I thought I slipped enough sleeping pills in your drink that you'd be out at least a few more hours."

  He had an apron on with goggles resting on his head. He rolled the cart towards me, a sadistic smile appearing on his lips. I looked into his eyes, and a soulless man stared back at me. No resemblance of a sane human being remained within him–whether the drugs he had taken aided in that or not, I didn't care.

  I just cared about killing him before he killed me.

  Stay calm. Get him to talk, distract him long enough to get your hands free.

  He stopped a few feet away, licking his lips as he eyed my bare stomach, "You don't have a lot of meat on you, but we can't be picky these days now, can we?"

  I smiled at him. "Before I lost consciousness, did I hear that one of those pussies was your brother?"

  His lips twitched, but he recovered quickly, grinning at me. "Heard that did you? I thought maybe the pipe to your skull might have knocked you out instantly. You're one tough bitch."

  He chuckled, and as he turned to his cart, I shimmied over towards the corner of the wall some more, continuing to wiggle my hands back and forth as I went.

  He held scissors in the sling of his right arm as he turned back around, crouching down near my feet. He gave no indication that he was aware that I'd moved a few feet along the wall.

  He sighed. "If you must know, yes, Leo was my brother. And you will–”

  I snorted loudly. "You should be thanking me, then."

  He looked as if he wanted nothing more than to grab the scissors and cut my throat, but he merely clenched his jaw. "And why is that?" he asked.

  "Your buddy Chaz is the one who killed him; I didn't have anything to do with your brother's death."

  He hissed. "Spit your lies all you want, it doesn't fucking matter." He stood up, going back to his cart again. "Chaz may have been an asshole, but he would never kill Leo. We were in this together. When God decided to cleanse the earth of all unworthy scum, he left us three to mop up the remaining filth."

  As he looked to the ceiling, I maneuvered myself closer to the edge of the wall. Finally feeling the corner, I positioned myself to where I could roll backwards, putting some distance between us when the right time presented itself. I paused as I watched Gary pick up a wicked looking tool; it reminded me of something a surgeon would require to open up a patient.

  Looking at the blade, his voice came out deranged. "God turns a blind eye to his chosen few, allowing me to relish in the pleasures of the human flesh."

  I felt the bottom of my palms slip through the tape.

  He turned back to me again, his eyes wide with excitement. He held the knife towards me, pointing it at my chest, "I was going to put you under, make your suffering less painful–“

  I finally felt my hands come free, but held my arms still, waiting for the right time to strike. I still had my legs bound; I needed to be smart.

  “–but for taking my brother from me, I will make you watch as I strip the meat from your bones."

  He was right above my feet.

  "Anything you'd like to say?" he asked.

  "Have you ever heard of Russian roulette?"

  His brows furrowed. "Of course I have...why?" he asked slowly.

  "Then you understand how it works? There is only one bullet. Each person takes a turn at pulling the trigger, attempting to defy the odds and be the last player with a pulse."

  "What is your fucking point?"

  "The fucking point, Gary, is that you have no idea what you've done. You just sat down to play and you will be the first to pull the trigger. You want to know what happens when you play roulette with me?"

  That's it, Phoenix.

  He laughed, bringing the blade in front of his face. "What happens?"

  "Every chamber has a round."

  I leaned forward, bringing my hands around. I extended the index finger on my right hand, pointing it towards him.

  "Bang."

  Chapter 8

  On The Brink of Insanity

  * * *

  GARY'S EYES WENT wide. He attempted to stand, but I swung my legs to the side, knocking him off balance. He stumbled backwards into the cart, sending a dozen other vicious looking instruments scattering across the floor.

  I scooted over, putting myself at the top of the staircase. I threw myself backwards, rolling down the stairs. Luckily, there were only a few and I came out of my roll on my feet. I had to hop a few times, but I was on my feet, nonetheless.

  Gary was on his knees, a look of astonishment on his face, but his eyes were wild with fury.

  I grinned with satisfaction. "What's wrong, Gary? Not used to your meals fighting back?"

  He bared his teeth and quickly rose to his feet. "I'll cut that smirk right off your face. You think you've won because your hands are free?" He pointed the knife at my feet as he began to walk towards me. "You've got nowhere to run."

  I cocked my head to the side. "Who said anything about running?"