Chapter 4
Each one of them takes a step into the city, and all around their feet we see fires erupt and buildings explode.
Their screaming gets worse as they start to climb the hill, and now it’s joined by the screaming of people running to get out of their way.
All around the circle where they’re walking inward, pillars of fire rise.
“Oh, my God,” Margery Wingard says, stepping out of our unit, tissue paper stuck up her nose.
“Mom, we have to go–” Tara starts, but her mom has literally dropped to her knees to pray.
“Oh, Lord on high,” she screams, “you have forsaken us in this desolate place!”
“Get up!” Tara yells, grabbing her arm.
“Please find us in our hour of need!”
“Tara,” my mom says. “Go with Ben. I’ll take care of your mother.”
Tara’s eyes widen. “Take care of her how?”
My mom actually laughs, but it’s a desperate thing. “I can’t stand the woman, but I’m hardly going to let her die.” She looks up at the gods. “Though I do need to get close to one of these things.”
I grab her shoulder and turn her to me, a shocked look on my face. She puts a hand on my hand, squeezes it.
“I know,” she says. “I know you don’t want me to, I know you want to stay with me, I know all that. But I have a theory and I need to test it. Go, run, I’ll be careful. I promise you.”
I don’t move.
“Ben,” she says. “Take Tara. Save each other. That’s how life works, okay?” She kisses me on the cheek. “Now, go! Both of you!”
Tara stands over her mother, who’s still praying. “You have sent your demons to destroy us! We beseech you for forgiveness!”
“I won’t let anything happen to her,” my mom says, “even if I have to knock her unconscious.”
“You probably will,” Tara says, but she steps away toward me.
One last look at my mom. Then we run.