The Whole World Tinder by Gregory Ashe

Author:Gregory Ashe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hodgkin and Blount
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

13 | EMMETT

Aimee shoved Jim.

I watched it happen. I had half a second for my brain to process it, and then I started to turn.

I was too slow. The burned scar twisted along her cheek as she grimaced and shoved me too. I lurched, tried to balance myself with one foot suspended on nothing, and fell. Lelah came with me.

For a disorienting moment, I hurtled down through the darkness. When I hit the water, the slap was painful, but not serious. Then Lelah hit the water. I was still trying to hold on to her, and there was a sharp pain in my shoulder. It felt like something separating. I let go of her without meaning to, and pain billowed in my head, a red cloud. I kicked in what I hoped was the right direction, aiming for the surface. Seconds ticked past. Shock and surprise had kept me from taking a breath, and my lungs burned.

And then I launched up from the water, the air cold and burning against exposed skin. I wiped my eyes, treading water and favoring my shoulder.

Behind me, flames chimneyed up from inside the cannery, casting a red glare over the water. Shots and screams continued to ring out. A shadow passed the opening in the wall, where Jim had created our exit, and then came back, staring out. I thought I could see two orange specks the color of jack-o’-lanterns.

“You ok?”

Jim treaded water easily behind me, blinking to clear his eyes.

I shook my head, but I said, “Fine.” Then I looked at Lelah, who floated face down a few feet away. “I can’t—I did something to my arm.”

The firelight glowed in the streaks of water on Jim’s face. “Can you make it to shore?”

I nodded.

“I’ve got her.”

The best I could manage was an awkward sidestroke that still had my shoulder screaming at me before I’d gone twenty yards. When I looked back, Jim was doing the backstroke, his arms looped under Lelah’s as he carried her to shore. Her head rolled into the water, and Jim had to stop to get her into position again. After that, I didn’t look back.

When I felt rocks underfoot, I stood, and I crossed the remaining distance slipping and stumbling. Water sloshed out of my sneakers when I reached the shore, and sand oozed out from under me with every step. Behind me, Jim’s labored breaths punctuated his movements. I kept my back to him, staring at the rocky bluff ahead of me. Someone was still shooting. Another explosion broke the air. It all sounded like it was a lot farther off, and I wondered how long it would take them to track us here. Five minutes? It couldn’t take more than ten.

Sand crunched, and then there was a wet, slithering noise, and Jim grunted. Wet clothing rustled. When he spoke, his voice was so close to me that I started.

“Why don’t you go find us a way up to the road? I can do this.”

I shook my head and started to turn around.

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