Burning Sky - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 My heart pounded as I ran through the street, icy droplets cutting into my skin as I breathed in and out. The rain was cascading heavily, so much that a torrent of water crashed down the road like a river. My body was frigid to the bone, but I had to keep moving. I wasn’t going to die, not as long as I could help it.

I kept running, away from the school and through the surrounding residential neighborhood. I broke a corner and allowed myself a quick glance above. Monstrous black clouds were forming and expanding, the energy fusing and mixing, ready to be released.

The wind started to become stronger, the rain physically hurting my skin. I had to get home, it was the only option. Just like the man from my dreams had said, I had to find a way to get to the pier by sunset. Only then would I be safe. There was only one more street to turn down, then I would find my parents, who would take me to safety…

I kept going, but my body was becoming too tired. My speed started to falter, and I slipped in the ankle deep water. I broke the fall with my arm, the pain magnified by my freezing nerves. I started to my feet again painstakingly when a metallic smell filled my nostrils. I looked up again, this time to see a gaping hole in the clouds. That was a definite unnatural occurrence.

A fresh burst of adrenaline sent me running faster than I had ever run before, the sensation of panic rising in my chest. I could feel the immense power hanging above my head, just waiting for the right moment to strike. I knew deep in my gut that it was inevitable.

Suddenly my vision went white, and an excruciatingly loud shock wave threw me off my feet. I felt a sharp pain as my body collided with the asphalt, my head jarred. For a couple moments I sat there in limbo, unable to see or hear anything except a high pitched ringing. My blood felt as if it had caught on fire, the white hot energy coursing through my circulatory system.

After a few seconds, the searing had stopped and my vision returned, albeit being blurry. I registered that I’d been hit by lightning, and wiggled my fingers and toes to make sure that they were still functioning. I tilted my head forward to check my surroundings, and then my breathing stopped.

Standing in front of me was a figure obscured by a mass of clouds. He was standing tall and powerful, like a statue, staring at me in a way that was unreadable. I knew instinctively that this man was not human, and whatever he was, he was something that could destroy my life with the snap of a finger.

I had no hope of escaping anymore.

His mouth opened and he began to talk angrily, though the contents were unknown to me since the bolt of lightning had left my hearing incapacitated. As he went on, his speaking could be felt through the ground, the powerful vibrations chattering my teeth. In a flash, the man pulls out a large, cylinder object emitting sparks of electrical energy and points it at me. He says a final curse, and I cringe, bracing myself for another explosion of energy.

Suddenly a massive object rams into the man, knocking him to the side, and sending a blast of energy into a nearby home. I try to focus on the thing, but all I can see is a black shroud of darkness. In the frenzy, someone hops out from the back and helps me up to my feet. I’m helped into the vessel, and promptly lose my consciousness shortly after.

To Be Continued