Page 95 of From the Ashes
Charlie hopped off, coughing and sputtering, but saying nothing. I dismounted the bike as well and laid it gently on the ground, like a body being laid to rest. That bike and I had been through a lot together and it was my firstrealpurchase after I’d sold my book. I loved it. But I couldn’t take it with me. Besides, it could be replaced. Charlie on the other hand, could not.
“Come with me,” I said, holding out my hand.
Charlie took it without hesitation.
“Where are we going?” he asked, tears streaming down his face from the smoke. His skin was smudged with soot and ash. “How are we gonna get out without the motorcycle?”
I lifted a hand, pointing to the gap below the burning logs. “Through there,” I said, stepping into the cold water without hesitation. “We’ll have to go under them.”
I felt the hesitation in his grip as I pulled him into the water. But he never stopped walking. Instead, he followed me to the center of the creek where the water came up to our knees. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was deep enough to cover us. I just hoped it remained so.
“This is gonna be a little freaky,” I explained, pulling him toward the downed trees. “But we need to dive under, go under the tree, come up for air, and keep going.” I pulled Charlie close, kissing me hard on the lips, knowing it might be the last time. “I’ll be right beside you the whole way, alright? I’ll never let you out of my sight.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
I could feel him tremble in my grasp. “No,” I replied honestly. “But it’s our only chance. If we stay here, we’ll die.”
He stared at me for a long moment before he finally nodded, the fear evident in his eyes. “Okay… I… I trust you, Nix.”
“I love you,” I said, kissing him again. “Now let’s get out of here.”
I pulled Charlie as close to the burning log as I dared, the flames biting at my skin even from a few feet away. Both of us kneeled down in the water, letting the biting cold envelope our heated skin.
“Use the rocks to pull yourself along the bottom,” I said, letting go of Charlie’s hand. “On the count of three, okay?”
Charlie nodded. “Okay.”
“One… two… THREE!”
I held back for just a second, making sure Charlie went under first. Then I plunged my head into the freezing water, forcing my eyes to stay open. With Charlie firmly in my sights, I began to pull myself along the creek bed right behind him.
Overhead the water took on a bright orange glow, and I knew we must be under the burning tree. I prayed to whatever was listening tokeep that log aloft. Should the fire weaken it enough to let it crack and fall, it would crush us both in an instant. There would be no coming back from that.
With that in mind, I pulled myself through the water faster, my lungs burning from the smoke and lack of air. However as soon as the water above me seemed to lose its glow, I grabbed Charlie and forced us both up. We broke the surface, gasping for air and immediately were met with more ash and smoke. I glanced back, seeing the giant tree burning behind us. But as I turned to the front, I saw there were still several more fallen logs to go.
“That was easy,” I said, giving Charlie a grin even though we were both quaking with fear and adrenaline. “We just have to keep doing that until we’re out. It can’t be that much further.”
Charlie nodded, pulling me in close. He kissed me, his lips tasting of cold mountain water and ash. “I love you too,” he said. “I didn’t say it before we went under.” He gripped me harder, his hands shaking. “I’ll never hesitate again. You’re too important for that. I’m so sorry I ignored you for all those years. I’m such an asshole… I–”
“Charlie,” I said, forcing him to look at me. “I love you and I forgive you.” I gestured to the burning forest around us. “But we can do this when we’re out of here, alright?”
He nodded, shaking himself out of it. “Yeah. Okay. You’re right.”
“Come on. Let’s get under this next tree.”
Together we repeated our escape method, diving under each burning tree, pulling ourselves along the bottom, then coming up for air once more. Slowly and methodically, we made our way downriver. There was more than one occasion where a smaller tree had fallen into the water itself and blocked the path. However, thanks to our soaked clothing and cold skin, we were able to hop the logs without getting burned, even if they were still glowing hot.
Finally, after resurfacing one last time, the air didn’t smell so foul and up ahead I could see blue sky beyond the flame.
“Charlie, look! We’re almost there!”
He turned toward the patch of blue sky, a smile spreading over his face. But it fell a second later when he saw what lay between us and the way out.
There were at least five large fallen trees in a row. Some of them were just thick trunks, still burning furiously. But a few of them were the tops of trees, their upper branches full of flame while the others pierced down into the water like spears. Getting under the logs was no problem. But getting through the tangle of branches underwater was going to be a challenge. Not only that, but there would be no place to come up for air in between. We’d have to swim the entire length in one breath.
It looked like an impossible task.
“Come on,” Charlie said, seeing the look on my face. “We can do this. You and I used to ride our bikes through the woods, threading between the trees at top speed.”