Page 42 of Hurry Up And Wait

I whimpered in pain as I stared across the kitchen floor at the flames dying out from the fridge. Something was wrong. I couldn’t move.

“Isla!”

I heard Fox calling out to me, but as panic tore through me, the only thing I could think about was the overwhelming amount of pain my body was in. A million things ran through my head on a reel. Where was Riley? Was I on fire? Why wasn’t the whole house burning?

“Isla!” Fox shouted, kneeling down beside me. “Are you okay?”

I was shaking. I could feel it spreading through my whole body as Ilaid there. I still hadn’t figured out exactly what happened. I dropped an egg. It landed by my shoe. Was my shoe covered in yolk? I couldn’t remember.

“Can you move?”

I looked at Fox strangely, wondering why he was asking me that. Move. Why wouldn’t I be able to move? That was an odd question, wasn’t it?

“I need an ambulance!”

I heard the words and realized he was saying that for me. I hadn’t actually spoken yet. He probably thought I was damaged. Was I? I started to push myself up when a man burst into the kitchen, his blue eyes taking in the way I was laying on the floor. Something about him struck me hard and I shoved to my knees, my hands shaking hard as I forced myself onto my feet.

“You,” I whispered, my voice coming out raspy and a little shaky.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the fire burning out where it had just been raging. Fire. In my house. Riley.

The man marched over to me and grabbed my hand, tugging me into the other room. I followed his steps, but felt off-kilter the whole way. There was a fire. A bomb. It had to be. Refrigerators didn’t explode for no reason. Someone tried to kill me.

“Are you alright?”

I heard what blue eyes said, but I couldn’t force my brain to think of a response. Someone had tried to kill me. I took two steps back, forcing my feet to move away from the man who stared at me intently. My heart beat harder in my chest and I rubbed at it, feeling a little off. Something was wrong. Why was I breathing so hard? Why did everything in my body feel like it was on pins and needles?

“You need to sit down,” he urged, but I backed away, gasping for air.

“This…” I glanced to the kitchen as black spots formed in front of my eyes.

“Take a deep breath,” he urged, standing back, but holding out his hand to calm me. “Hey! Look at me.”

I did as he asked, peeling my eyes away from the crispiness in my kitchen. Someone tried to kill me. A bomb. Who did that? Who plantedbombs in someone’s house? Fox. But he was here with me. Would he have tried to kill me when he could get hurt?

“Breathe. Take a fucking breath.”

I wanted to. It would probably relieve the growing pressure in my chest, but my body didn’t want to listen. I started swaying, trying desperately to stay on my feet.

“You’re panicking. I need you to calm down.”

I nodded, but that didn’t help things. My head started to roll, but before I could collapse, he was there, catching me in his arms. I stared up into his blue eyes as he urged me to breathe.

“In and out. You can do it.”

I could do it. It was simple. I just needed to take a breath.

“Fucking breathe!” he shouted.

I sucked in a harsh breath. My lungs expanded, finally relieving the pain in my head from lack of oxygen.

“That’s it. Take another breath. You can do it.”

It wasn’t any easier the second time. The pain in my chest was too intense, but I pushed past it as he sat me upright and lifted my arm over my head. Somehow, it made it better. I sucked in another ragged breath until it wasn’t quite so hard to fill my lungs with air. Little by little, the spots disappeared from my vision until all I was left with were chills racing over my body. I was shaking and I knew it, but I didn’t know how to stop it.

“You’re freezing,” the man stated, grabbing a throw from the back of the couch. He wrapped it around my shoulders and tucked it tight in front of me. Then he grabbed my arm and pressed his fingers to my wrist. I stared at the dirt on my hands.

Ash.