Survival is Crucial

The Floating Fire

A man engulfed in flames walked quietly upon dry roads, the pain overtook his body as he moved further through the neverending lands before him. Each step he took caused the flames to crackle and shake, only causing the pain to worsen, yet there was no other way for him to end it... no, this flame had not been extinguished for hours now that he couldn't fathom where and when it had all started his remaining consciousness had already begun fading into non-existence, the only thoughts that would ever linger in his mind is to walk and to touch, why to touch? He doesn't know, he can't remember. One last unique thought appeared in his head before continuing to charred the ground before him... 'Why won't I die?'

The rattling of their steel carriage continued as they made their way to the border of Mexico, Nick at the wheel while the others waited patiently in the back of the mobile home car that they were in. Tyche felt each bump in the road as he chewed on his thumbnail, laying down in a bed while having a border on the side to prevent him from falling out while Jack casually sat in the normal seats of the car they were in -- Carla sitting in the passenger seat nearest to Nick. As they made it down the road they were on, getting closer and closer to the border, a light could be seen within their path.

As they got closer the light grew brighter and brighter. Nick, thinking ahead of time, had slowed the car down significantly so he wouldn't be slamming straight into an object that he couldn't recognize, almost as if hovering towards this light. Nick came to a halt, leaning over the dashboard to get a better look at what was there as he noticed that instead of them approaching the light, the light was approaching them.

Carla leaned over the dashboard as well, squinting to get a better look at it, "What the f**k is that!?" He yelled as the sound of crackling and the slapping of feet hitting concrete could be heard outside the car. Tyche noticed Carla's screaming, getting off from the bed and removing the border on it, hopping down to the floor below.

Tyche approached, leaning onto the dashboard, bringing his face close to the window, "That's a person..." Tyche mumbled to himself.

Nick whipped his head around to look at Tyche, "What'd you say?"

"That's a guy, how the hell...?"

"That's a human being?"

"Look," Tyche pointed, "I can literally see the body and it's a crisp, no muscles, nothing, how is he still alive?"

Nick looked back out the window as the man covered in flames inched closer and closer, only being about two meters away now. "We're leaving."

Carla nodded, "Yeah, we should."

Jack looked through as well, "Holy s**t," both of Jack's eyebrows raised, "Yeah, we need to get the f**k out of here."

"s**t!" They all screamed simultaneously, Tyche jumping back farther into the car as the man covered in flames jumped onto the hood of the car, melting everything around it slightly as it began to scale it, attempting to get inside with every punch, making holes before ripping it open with their bare hands. They all ran out from the car, flames beginning to engulf it in its entirety the instant they made it out.

Tyche began hyperventilating, "They shouldn't even be able to move... it doesn't make sense."

Jack slapped Tyche's back, "Calm down! There's literally nothing we can do with this crazy s**t right now other than continue to survive, okay?"

Tyche nodded, "Alright."

Nick blew air out his nose, "How the f**k are we going to get to the border now?"

Jack spun his head around to look at Nick, "Will we have to walk now?"

"Well..." Nick pointed to the back of the car showing a more run-down truck strapped to the back of the mobile home, "We'll be fine with that, I think."

"How did I not notice that?"

"I thought it was just storage," Carla commented before waving everyone to get away from the car, backing up with the rest of them, "Distance, give it some distance."

The fire engulfed man clambered out the vehicle, melting each step it touched before falling onto the ground. Its fingers scrape across the ground as it stood up, scorching the ground below, leaving a black ash mark on the ground. As its sight focused on the group, the fire had become even hotter, sweat beading across their brows as it limped closer and closer before its leg had begun forming itself back in place, showing a bone that was broken before shooting back in place before a swift crack could be heard -- suddenly being able to walk normally, unlike before.

Tyche fell to the floor in fear, "Did you see that?" He pointed with a shaky hand, his voice trembling all the while. The others couldn't hide the same emotions either, Nick stifling some bile in his throat. Jack pulled a pistol out from his belt, firing it twice into the man, watching as they fell to the ground. Jack took a deep breath before letting out a long sigh, firing it into the flame engulfed man once again, a wad of smoke flying into the air in response. "Hey..." Jack started, "You guys know how bulletproof vests only make the damage minimal enough that the bullet's damage is kind of distributed throughout the entire body, stuff like that?" Jack shook his head, "I explained it wrong, but whatever a bulletproof vest does, this guy just did."

Carla and Nick whipped their heads around, "What?" Nick asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, the bullets melted within an instant of touching that thing's skin," Jack paused, firing another shot into the flaming man, "Do you have the keys to that truck?"

Nick showed a collection of keys he had on him.

"Okay, hand them to me, I'm starting the car, and we're leaving."

Tyche immediately ran to the truck, breaking the latch to the mobile home car before turning to the group, "We're leaving!"

They all run over to Tyche, Nick jumping into the driver's seat and starting up the car, Carla jumping into the passenger's seat while Tyche and Jack jumped into the back of the truck.

Tyche went immediately into the fetal position, his face showing deep, existential contemplation before they had begun taking off back into the direction of Mexico's border.