Scattered Ash: A Young Adult Dystopian Novel (Wall of Fire Series Book 2) by Melanie Tays

Author:Melanie Tays [Tays, Melanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Goldlight Enterprises LLC
Published: 2020-03-03T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

We both stand there for a moment, stunned. It’s what we hoped for, and yet it seems impossible. In the dead of night, with two lone witnesses, the Safe Dome has ceased to be.

“It worked,” Vander mutters in disbelief. He drops the torch he carries in the ash at his feet, letting it sputter out. He gathers me up in an enormous hug, lifting me from the ground and spinning me in circles until we are both laughing and so dizzy that we can hardly stand.

“Shhh,” I hush him, trying to regain my composure. “We don’t want to attract the attention of Enforcers before we even set foot in The City.”

He nods, taking a few deep breaths to quiet the excitement that has so clearly overtaken him. “Should we go in together?” he whispers.

“What do you think is going to happen when people realize?” I say. “Do you really think they’ll panic? And what will Traeger do?”

“He’ll probably round up everyone who had anything to do with this. We have to get to our families and make sure they get out right away.”

A shiver runs down my spine. I turn back to The City. A distant orange glow lights up the dreary streets. “Vander, look. The Wall of Fire is still burning,” I say, pointing to the shifting flames. Of course, it’s not really burning. It’s just synthetic fire on top of a barrier field, but it’s impenetrable nonetheless. “The people in the Flame will be trapped.”

“The tunnels,” says Vander.

“Of course!”

We squint into the distance, and I force myself not to think about what I might be running into. I feel certain that whatever I am about to face will make the Burning and my days in the Ash feel like the things of Whyle’s fairy tale bedtime stories in comparison.

My heart thuds in my chest as I approach The City, now exposed for the first time. Each step we take creates plumes of ash and leaves a trail in our wake. I’ve only been gone for three days, but somehow it feels as though I’m entering a completely foreign land.

The farm is located about a quarter of the way around The City from where we exited through the gateway. That’s good because my family lives on this side of the Smoke, so I’ll be able to reach them quickly.

It’s easy to tell where the Ash ended and the Safe Dome began. A clear line—peppered ash on one side and paved cement on the other—delineates the boundary of The City. We stop right at the edge; a heady sense of what we have just done hangs in the air between us. This changes everything we have ever known.

There is no going back to the way life has always been—not for us, not for anyone.

Standing at the edge of The City, we have a clear view of the Smoke—the soiled streets and dilapidated buildings. It’s far past curfew, so there’s no one in sight. Presumably, there are Enforcers still patrolling, but I have no idea how many or where they would be.

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