Chapter 18

Rising from the Dust:

"Dust, wake up," a voice said urgently.

A shiver ran through him. He ached all over. He tried to open his eyes, but they felt weighted down. Another shiver shook his body and the sound of someone moaning pulled at him. Was Sammy or Todd hurt? It took several tries before he could get his tired brain to send the right message to his eyelids. He blinked groggily. Bright light streamed through the window of the car. Instead of sitting, he was lying across the back seat of the car. There was a pile of blankets on top of him, but he was still cold.

"Sam... Sammy," he choked out, his throat rough and dry.

"I'm here," Sammy said, leaning over him from where she was kneeling on the floorboard in the back.

"What... Where are we?" He asked, weakly clutching at the blankets. "Why am I so cold?"

Sammy brushed a hand over his forehead. He closed his eyes at the soothing caress of her fingers. His eyelashes lifted when he heard her shift.

"Try to drink this," she said, lifting his head up a little so that she could rest the can against his lips.

The sugary taste of the soda washed over his tongue and down his throat. He fought the urge to sneeze as the fizz tickled his nose. After several sips, she pulled the can away from his lips and gently rested his head back down on the jacket she was using as a pillow.

"What is going on?" He asked.

"You're sick," Josie said, bluntly from the front seat.

"You've been sick for two days," Todd added, looking over the front driver's seat at him. "Sammy said we needed to find a place to stay until you got better."

Dust's gaze moved back to lock with Sammy's worried one. He tried to smile, but it took too much effort. With a sigh, he shifted uncomfortably on the seat. His back felt like it was on fire. He could have understood if it had been his chest, though that still hurt as well.

"Where are we?" He asked faintly.

Sammy looked up to stare out of the door. With a sigh, she glanced back down at Dust. An uncertain smile curved her lips.

"I think we are in Kansas, but I'm not really sure," she admitted.

"How are you feeling?" Josie asked.

Dust turned his head to stare at Josie. "Cold, achy," he mumbled. "I'm not sure what's wrong. My back... It hurts... Burns."

"It could be an infection or something. The devil dogs cut you up pretty bad," Sammy said, biting her lip.

"I told Sammy I could seal the wounds with just a touch, but she wouldn't let me," Josie responded, raising her hand up and focusing until small flames danced on the tips of her fingers.

Dust released a faint chuckle. His fevered gaze glittered with tired amusement. He pulled his hand free of the covers and reached for Sammy's hand.

"Thank you," he said with a small smile. "Something tells me I'd be in a lot worse shape if you hadn't been here."

"She's all talk," Sammy whispered.

"Josie made me some more marshmallows last night," Todd informed him.

Dust's eyes moved back to Josie and he raised an eyebrow at her. Her cheeks flushed and she glanced away. Her lips twisted into a sardonic curve.

"There was only two left. It wasn't like it would have done either one of us much good," Josie retorted, turning back around in her seat and pushing out the passenger side door and sliding out.

He watched as Josie disappeared. Releasing a tired sigh, he looked back at Sammy. Todd had decided to join Josie, so they were alone.

"We found a house," Sammy said. "It was empty. There wasn't any food left, so we think that whoever had lived here might have survived. Josie doesn't think her dad would have made it this far. We're out of gas in the car, too."

Dust tried to push up, wincing when he felt his muscles protest. He gripped the back of the front seat to steady himself when the world spun at a crazy angle. Drawing in deep breaths, he waited until things stood still once more before he spoke.

"Is there any other cars here?" He asked in a husky voice.

Sammy scooted up to sit near his feet. She shook her head. He didn't miss the slight look of worry that crossed her face.

"Don't worry, we'll find a way to move on," he muttered. "Can I have more of the soda?"

"Oh, yeah, here," Sammy said, reaching for the can she had placed on the floorboard. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better," he admitted, taking the can of soda from her and draining it. Almost immediately, he could feel the energy sweeping through him. The cold soda also soothed the soreness in his throat. He leaned back against the seat and gave her a lopsided smile. "That tastes good."

"We have a couple of cans left if you'd like another one," Sammy said.

Dust shook his head. "Not right now," he said, turning his head to look at the small blue and white boarded house.

"We were afraid to move you," Sammy explained, glancing at the house where Josie and Todd were sitting on the front porch talking. "Every time we touched you, you would cry out in pain. Josie and I took turns staying out here with you at night."

Dust reached out and touched Sammy's cheek. A soft flush rose in them and her expression softened. He gently ran his thumb across her skin before his hand dropped back to his lap.

"Do we have any more fruit?" He asked. "I think if I can eat a little bit, I'll be able to move on my own."

Sammy nodded and twisted to grab a couple of cans out of the back. He watched as she removed the lid of the first can and held it out to him. With each bite, he felt stronger.

*.*.*

Five days later, Dust wiped the sweat from his brow. Even though it was growing colder out, he felt warm. He wasn't running a fever like before, he decided it must be because he was jogging. He glanced over his shoulder at the makeshift cart he had constructed. It had four, five gallon gas cans filled to the top. He was pretty proud of his explorations today. It had taken him a bit longer and he had to go a lot farther than he anticipated to find the items, but the journey had been a success.

Turning back around, he gripped the straps and began moving again. He had another four miles to go before he got back to the house where Josie, Sammy, and Todd were waiting for him. They had wanted to go with him, but he was concerned that he might not make it back home before dark. The long, flat road was straight before him and he found it was easier to pull the cart.

His gaze narrowed on a thin wisp of black smoke rising in the distance. Picking up speed, his heart pounded when he realized that the smoke was thicker than he first thought. Panic hit him hard and he moved to the side of the road, releasing the straps of the cart. Running as fast as he could, his eyes remained glued to the thickening blackness.

The heat from earlier returned as he ran. The burning that had been in his back earlier in the week returned. This time, he ignored the excruciating stab of pain. His only concern was for Sammy, Todd, and Josie. He jumped the small ditch, clawing at the ground to get his footing. His hand swung out and he gripped the wooden post, hopping over the tangle of barbed wire. He pushed himself forward over the uneven ground. In the distance he could see the house. In the front yard, there were several vehicles he didn't recognize. One of the trucks was on fire.

Pure rage and fear swept through him when he heard the sound of gunfire. The burning in his back disappeared at the same time as he felt a wave of fire course through him. The world shifted, changing as he faded. His gaze remained on the small group hiding behind the vehicles. The group that was trying to harm Sammy, Todd, and Josie.

*.*.*

Sammy pulled Todd back and held him in her arms as a rain of bullets tore through the wooden siding of the house. She waited until the rounds had stopped before she released Todd. Pushing him toward the couch located against the far wall, she motioned for him to crawl to it.

"Stay down," she whispered, reaching for the bow and arrows that she had grabbed when she saw the four vehicles coming down the road. "Don't move from there unless one of us tells you to."

Todd nodded and scrambled across the floor on all fours. Sammy gripped the bow in her hand and glanced out the window where Josie was standing on the porch. For a moment, Sammy didn't know if she wanted to hug Josie or ring her neck.

The loud explosion of one of the trucks as it rose into the air resonated through the yard and house. Josie had shot a fireball at it. Sammy decided that ringing Josie's neck was probably going to be her first choice, after all. Rolling to the side, Sammy crawled through the living room doorway and into the front bedroom.

"I told you to keep on moving," Josie growled loudly from the porch. "I'm not in the mood to deal with the lot of you."

"That one's got some fire in her, Everett," one of the men yelled.

"I'll show her fire! That was my damn truck she blew up!" The man yelled back. "You messed with the wrong men, she-devil. We'll be sending you back to the hell you escaped from."

Sammy watched as two of the four men rose up and fired several shots at Josie. Awe gripped her when she saw Josie wave her hands in front of her. An intense shield of flames appeared. It was so hot, that the moment the bullets hit it, they dissolved.

"Come on, Josie," Sammy muttered under her breath. "You know you can't keep using that kind of energy for long."

Sammy didn't add that she wished that Dust was here. The men had arrived almost a half hour before. Josie had told her to take Todd into the house and stay there. Josie had said she was the best one to deal with the men since Dust wasn't there. Sammy and Todd had watched as the four large trucks pulled up. Two men had gotten out of the first two trucks, while the other two stayed in their vehicles.

"Well, well, well, looks like we found something worth keeping, Everett," one of the man had said, grinning when he saw Josie standing on the porch.

Sammy couldn't see Josie's face, but she could imagine what the other girl's expression was. The men sounded far too much like Josie's dad and the others back at the silo for her to just dismiss them. She grimaced when she heard the biting sting in Josie's voice.

Yep, Josie wasn't going to be nice, Sammy thought.

"You want to keep something? I suggest you get back in your trucks and keep going," Josie snapped. "There's nothing here for you."

"I think there is," the man named Everett had replied. "We're looking for food and gas."

Josie had tossed her red hair over her shoulder and shrugged. "You and every other survivor on the planet. I said there's nothing here for you; no food, no fuel. Now, move out before I change my mind and decide to see if you have anything that we can use instead."

"We...," Everett repeated and raised his hand, motioning for the other two men to get out of their trucks. "How many of you are there?"

Sammy heard Josie's low curse at her mistake. "Stay back," Josie snarled, gripping her hands at her side.

Of course, the men hadn't stayed back; well, at least not until Josie sent the first fire bomb at them. Then, they had all taken refuge behind their vehicles. Sammy heard the shouts of anger and fear seconds before the first sound of a gunshot echoed through the air.

Frightened for Josie, Sammy had been about to release her first arrow when Josie took matters into her own hands. The loud explosion of the truck had shattered the glass in the front rooms and knocked her and Todd onto their backs. When she had looked out again, Josie's body was a glowing mass of flames.

"Kill the witch," Everett yelled, firing at Josie.

Sammy pulled the arrow back and focused. She released it, watching as it soared through the air. Not waiting, she quickly pulled another one and strung it. The loud cry told her that her first arrow had hit its mark.

"Josie, get in the house now," Sammy shouted.

Josie continued to weave her hands in front of her as she stepped back toward the front door. Sammy released another arrow before falling to the floor as the wave of bullets shifted in her direction. Covering her head, she winced as several pieces of glass and wood fragments rained down over her.

She glanced through the doorway when she heard the door slam. Josie lay on the floor, breathing heavily. She was very pale and there were several damp places on her clothing that told Sammy that not all the bullets had missed their mark.

"How bad?" Sammy forced out above the sound of gunfire.

"Just scratches," Josie muttered, wincing as she rolled over onto her stomach. "I could really use a barrel of marshmallows or a case of soda right about now."

Sammy shook her head, turning it when she heard a hoarse cry and the sound of the guns growing silent. Her lips parted and she looked back at Josie with a shimmer of hope. Pushing up, she scrambled back to the window.

"Dust," Sammy breathed, her eyes wide.

The three out of the four men were pressed up against the side of one of the large trucks, their weapons forgotten on the ground. The man named Everett was the only one who wasn't cowering. He couldn't, because he wasn't on the ground, he was several feet above it, held firmly in Dust's grasp.

"Holy shit," Josie whispered next to her. "When did Dust get wings?"

"I don't know," Sammy muttered, her eyes glued to the long, black wings protruding from Dust's back.