Burning Slow

911, what's your emergency?

"A strong blue light, you say?" The operator asked. The person on the other end of the line was panicking, starting to hear explosions.

"Sir, please calm down. I'll notify someone as soon as possible." The operator hung up, calling Ember and the others.

"Hello?" Astraea answered in a singsong voice.

"Hi, someone just called and reported a strong blue light over Portaveno Hill." Astraea choked on her donuts- all eyes turning to her.

"Can you repeat that?" She asked, turning the phone on speaker.

"Someone just called and reported a strong blue light over Portaveno Hill." The teens' jaws dropped.

"Thank you, Miss." Astraea said, hanging up.

"We leave in five." Ember ordered, everybody dashing up the stairs.

They quickly got dressed, ready to leave. They notified Alex and Greyson and opened the front door, about to leave.

Footsteps ceased, staring back at Astraea.

"You're not going with us, Aea."

"Why the f**k not?"

Seven teens leaned back, their brows raised at Astraea. Their eyes darting from Astraea's face to her five month pregnant belly.

"Just because I'm pregnant, doesn't mean I can't help." She crossed her arms.

"We're wasting time, we'll wait in the car, Nick." James patted Nick's shoulder, walking ahead and the rest following behind him

“Aea, stay here please. I can’t risk putting you and the baby in danger.” Nick pleaded, holding Astraea’s hand in his right and his other hand on Astraea’s belly.

“I’ve been sitting out every single fight and argument- I can’t continue like this, Nick.”

“I can’t risk putting you and the baby in danger.” Nick repeated. “All of us need you safe, Aea. Please understand.”

Astraea groaned in defeat. “You better bring back some pickles.”

“Babe, you hate pickles.”

“I’m craving pickles. Now go.”

“Alright, your majesty.” The two laughed. Nick kissed her before walking out the door and hopping the car.

James honked twice before driving out of the driveway and to Portaveno.

Everyone noticed the sky get darker, looking like it was going to rain soon.

“Jacob, control your emotions.” James spoke, his grip on the steering wheel tightening as they got closer to Portaveno.

“It isn’t me, I swear. I’m not doing it.”

“Damn. It’s going to be hard to fight in the rain.” Kenneth rubbed his hands together, the air getting colder.

“Who says were going to fight?” Nathan turned his head to Kenneth.

Kenneth didn’t have the chance to answer, all of them seeing swirling blue clouds on top of the hill, hearing mini explosions in the background.

“Speed up, James.” Nathan ordered, his eyes thoroughly scanning the area.

“Why do all the houses look like they were abandoned?” Rocco mumbled.

“That’s because they are.” Ember answered, seeing houses with broken windows and opened doors. “When I was here, the streets were bright and each one looked homey.”

“Wait, where do I go?” James asked.

“Turn a left here.” Ember instructed.

Tiny droplets of water started falling, hitting the windshield and their windows. Everybody was wary, their bodies tensed, on high alert.

“The house at the end of the street, J.”

“But that’s our house.” Jacob squinted at the house, remembering his childhood home.

“That’s the house I went to...”

James parked the car, him and Jacob staring up at the house that they haven’t been to in almost six years.

At this point, nobody minded the cold air or the droplets of water hitting their skin. They slowly walked to the house. It was the only house in the village that didn’t looked mugged- it looked completely the same as when Ember went here and when Mason took the twins.

Nathan banged on the door, opening up for them.

The house was dark, looking like nobody had lived here for years. The only light source they had was the light streaming in from the outside through the windows.

Nathan walked ahead, his footsteps echoing throughout the house. All the teens were ready to attack, their power at their disposal.

“Faith?” Ember didn’t need to yell, her voice echoed throughout the house.

“Grace? You he-” Nathan was cut off, feeling like he stepped on some thick liquid. He looked down, seeing a familiar red liquid. He sucked in a deep breath, following the trail of blood with his eyes.

The trail continued behind closed doors. “Guys, check this out.” He opened the door, seeing stairs leading down.

“The basement. Classic.” Nick commented, seeing the trail of blood continuing. “Shine some light, James.”

Light came out of James’ hand, he walked down the stairs first, everybody still wary of their surroundings.

James stopped halfway down the stairs, shining light on every inch of the room. From left to right-

“Oh my god, it’s Grace.” He raced down the stairs, seeing Grace chained to the wall. She was only wearing a dirty shirt and her underwear. She looked thin and beat up and she was unresponsive to any of the teenager’s calls or touches.

Nathan melted the chains off her, feeling a very weak pulse. “She’s barely holding on.”

“We need to get her home now.”

“Nick, you get the two home. The rest of us will stay and investigate some more.” Nick nodded, holding the couple and they were gone in a second.

“Where do we start?” Rocco asked.

“Faith said that she needed a host body. It doesn’t make sense why she would leave Grace the way she was.” She started to walk up the stairs, her eyes roaming around the house. “You two investigate outside, Rocco and I will check for things in here.” The twins nodded at her, thankful to be out of that nightmare of a house.

“Faith?!” Rocco and Ember yelled over and over again. The two searched each room, each drawer, each bed, finding nothing but dust.

The twins on the other hand...

“James, the center- look.” Jacob pointed to the sky, already soaked from the rain. “Let’s go there.” James nodded, starting to walk to the center of the glowing swirling blue clouds, still hearing mini explosions in the background.

They stopped at a clearing. They used to play here a lot as kids. The lawn looked awful compared to before. The grass used to look lush and green and gorgeous.

Standing in front of the clearing was a girl in a white dress with long black hair... Probably Faith, probably a ghost. Who knows?

The twins warily walked closer to her, hearing Ember and Rocco calling for them.

James shot multiple beams of light into the sky, hoping that it would catch the attention of the couple.

They were still quite a distance away from the girl then she disappeared from their sight. Next thing the two knew, they were on the ground, clutching their sides.

“What the f**k happened?”

“James! Jacob!” Ember’s voice got closer, along with her footsteps.

The ground underneath the two started to get soft, both of them scrambling to their feet but getting knocked down once again.

Jacob caught sight of the two about to run to them but he quickly stopped them, feeling his feet sinking. “Stay right there! The ground, it feels like quicksand.”

Rocco and Ember saw the girl that the twins saw, back in the middle of the clearing. Her long black hair was being messed up by the wind, hitting her face. The wind was becoming more violent and the rain was getting heavier, all four teens were barely able to see past it. The ground that the twins were on loosened up even more, making them sink faster but the girl in the middle didn’t look like she was sinking

Ember kneeled down, placing her hands in the ground, her hair being whipped back by the wind.

Rocco instantly knew what she was going to do, he grabbed her waist, pulling her away. “You can’t, hun. You’ll lose time.”

“I need to save the twins.”

“But-”

“Rocco, I’ll be fine. When I tell you to run, run as fast as you can and grab the twins alright?” Rocco sighed, letting go of her and nodding. He ran a hand through his hair, some of the water being squeezed out.

Ember got back to kneeling down, placing her hands back in the ground, her whole body encased in a soft green glow.

She felt the ground start to harden, concentrating a bit more. “Now!”

Rocco ran as fast as he could, grabbing the twins who were already waist deep in the ground. He grabbed their hands, starting to pull them out but like the two- he was knocked down.

Ember felt her power draining fast, she had to make this quick. She took her hands out the ground, focusing her power on the spot where the boys were and hardened the ground around them.

She let out a yell, pulling the boys out and throwing them to some bushes. She panted but she didn’t have time to rest, being met with red sinister eyes.

She ducked, barely being able to dodge Faith’s punch. Her power had already powered up, might as well use it.

Rocco was quick on his feet, cutting up his palm and summoning a demon. “Get her, Amducious.”

The demon grunted, flying over to Ember and Faith, taking over the fight for Ember. Rocco was right behind his demon, catching Ember in his arms just as she fell.

“Three years down.” Ember mumbled.

“Amducious will keep her busy, hun.” Ember nodded, trying to get out of Rocco’s arm but he simply tightened his hold on her.

“Going home now.” The girl breathed out, letting darkness take over her.