Jordyn

Walking hurts.

Every step is like standing on nails, and every breath feels like swallowing hot coals. I'm panting within seconds and clinging to branches and vines for support.

Yet, the jungle floor doesn't claim me. I remain upright and continue walking regardless. My head tilts back as I stare at the red shape flying overhead, its wings flapping in slow motion.

Ahead of us, the volcano looms. A pillar of smoke curls out of the top, lighter gray than the day before. It hits the dome and billows away like real clouds.

As we get closer to the base of the source, the ground elevates little by little. Every step becomes more of a challenge. Sweat beads form along my neck and roll down the back of my jumpsuit. I pause for a minute to peel my hair away from it and hold it against my head. The action loosens my lungs as well since I keep my good arm up.

I cannot stop.

I refuse to feel the way I did under Neil's foot--small and powerless.

That is not who I am.

A scream echoes through the woods, and I slump into the tree beside me. It leans with my weight but stands upright. The monkeys who were following me scatter at my sudden stop. I ignore them and glance over head.

That wasn't a human scream.

The bird circles around the stream of smoke a few times.

What is it doing?

I narrow my eyes and twist my face up in confusion.

The bird lets out another blood-chilling scream and then dives headfirst into the center of the volcano. I suck in a shocked breath and hold it. My heartbeat races in the palm of my hand that clings to the tree beside me, a drum beat of an anxious tragedy.

A tense minute passes, and then, the bird emerges from the smoke. It lands for a moment on the edge of the mouth of the volcano, shakes its head, and then lifts off once again. I watch it until it disappears from my sight.

What just happened?

Did the bird drop Kaia into the magma? Is that even possible? It looked completely untouched.

Curiosity bubbles up in my chest like a pot of boiling water. I have to go up there.

I assess the challenge ahead of me. The climb is nearly vertical, and I'm down an arm. I might be able to climb with my hand and knees, but even then, the possibility of slipping back down the hill is high. I glance up at the mouth of the volcano.

There's no other option; I have to climb. The fear of not knowing what happened to Kaia drives me further.

The sun has reached its tallest height and bears down on me with all the force of searing fire. The sensitive, open areas of my skin tingle and burn as I walk out into the open. Without the trees to hold onto, I stagger on my own legs. Still, I refuse to fail. Not this time.

I walk up the slope for a while, until I'm forced to use my single good arm for support. The ground shreds away under my feet, sending rocks and dirt tumbling down after me. I dig my fingers and bury my toes into the soft bank to hoist myself up.

Climbing requires all of my concentration, and the world fades out. All I feel is dirt and sweat, the pulsing of my thigh muscles and the racing of my heartbeat. My painful wheezing serves as a soundtrack to the adventure. I'm able to block out all outside elements.

Until a rock slams into my right ear and sends a jolt of pain through my head.

I duck towards the ground and look up, afraid I've started an avalanche. Yet, no rocks slide down.

Another rock pelt into my head, causing me to lower myself even further. I turn my head to the left this time to see a pod of monkeys sitting in the skeleton of a bush. The leaves that once hung from the branches are littered around the base of the plant. Four monkeys stare at me and blink their mechanical eyes.

I pick up a handful of dirt and toss it in their general direction. It doesn't even faze them. The largest of the four picks up a random rock and chucks it towards me. I turn my head away, but it nails me right in the right shoulder. Pain rivets down my arm, and I hiss in pain.

"Go away," I mutter to the monkeys, but they don't budge. Whoever is on the other side of those cameras wants a show. I shake my head and resume climbing. It's best to just ignore them.

Which is hard to do with rocks hitting my bruised, sore body.

The assault continues until I'm out of their reach. I sigh gratefully and reach for a long vine that hangs down. The wind blows, and the vine twists in my grasp. My hand slips, and I sink down a few inches.

What is that vine covered in? Water?

I glance down and suck in a breath. Jesus, that's a long way down. So, letting go isn't an option.

Instead, I adjust my grip on the vine and pull myself up. The vine slips out of the dirt and falls down around my neck. My hand clambers for something to hold onto as I slide farther down the incline. I grasp for a second vine, and luckily, this one holds firm.

The vine twists itself around my neck.

My breathing turns into a shallow panting.

The slick surface of the vine rubs against my sunburnt skin. Its muscles tighten; my heart pounds. I set my feet into solid ground and pry my trembling fingers from the dirt. They go to my neck, and I touch the scaly surface.

I feel the scream forming in my mouth long before it surfaces. When it does, there's no stopping it. I grab the snake with my good hand and yank it away from my neck as its hissing merges with my scream. The sudden movement makes my feet slip, and my leg muscles struggle to keep my upright. I hold the snake as far away from me as possible, shaking my hand to make sure it doesn't wrap itself around me again.

It snaps at my wrist, but I'm holding it in a way that prevents it from reaching me. The body is dark brown, camouflaged to look like the dried branches and leaves surrounding us. With a sound of disgust, I throw the animal down the hill.

God, I hate snakes. I shiver and set my sights on the path ahead. Now that I know what to look for, I see them everywhere--hanging from the fist sized holes I had been using as hand holds, wrapped around actual vines, curled on top of rocks. There's no way around the field of brown and black creatures. It's not that far, really. Less than six feet.

So, I shake my head and begin to climb again. This time, I'm much more careful about where I place my good hand and feet. More than once, I jerk back and readjust my position due to one of the hissing snakes.

By the time I'm arm's-length away from the top, sweat pours out of my neck and palms. My hair is plastered to my forehead like red prison bars in my vision. I'm taking gulps of exhausted breath, and the sling has loosened from around my neck, now barely holding on. I grip the lip of the ledge overhead and pull myself up, trembling and jerking as the muscles in my arm struggle to cooperate.

What seems like an eternity passes before I'm standing on both feet on top of the ledge and looking down into a huge, empty hole. Smoke still billows out around me, preventing me from seeing anything. I squint, turn my head to one side, and even squat down, but I can't see through the smoke. Balancing myself on the edge, I run a hand through my hair.

Maybe it's best to go back down. Maybe climbing was a bad idea in the first place.

No.

I refuse to give up. If I can't see, then I'll just have to use my sense of hearing.

Careful not to upset my precarious perch on the ledge, I squat down and pick up the biggest rock within reach. Then, I throw it into the smoke and wait.

What does a rock sound like when it falls into magma? Will it be like a plop, followed by the sizzling of the rock breaking down? Will it sound more like the splashing of water, or will it make no sound at all? I stand back up and lean forward just a little, stretching my ears towards the steam.

Less than three seconds passes before I hear a loud bang, followed by two quieter bangs. My eyes go wide. Metal. The rock hit metal and bounced off.

The memory hits me hard and unexpectedly. It's short, shaky, and cloudy. I see myself and a taller, dark-haired teenager on the roof of a building. It's dark, but not midnight-black. More like a purple, velvet sort of dark. That moment after sunset when the darkness is infantile. I focus in on whatever my mind's trying to reveal. Faces, please. Is the boy Sam?

"Be careful, Jordyn," a high pitched voice says from behind me. I turn to see a scruffy, blonde-haired kid wearing round, thin glasses.

"We do this all the time. No one's ever fallen off a roof," I respond.

He rolls his eyes and pushes the glasses up on his nose. "Today will be the day, just because you said that."

I turn back around, to see that the other boy has walked closer to me. He's holding a bag of rocks in his hand. Finally, I see his face--those deep blue eyes that once ripped through my chest in the shed. Samson.

"Ready?" he asks, handing me the bag. I take it and jog towards the edge of the building.

"Definitely."

Then, I pick the biggest rock I can find, rear back my arm, and chuck it off the rooftop. Down below is a long, metal building. The roof is littered with dents, but no holes. The rock hits the metal, followed by a storm of smaller rocks from Sam's and the other boy's fists. An ear-splitting alarm fills the air around us, and we run away from the ledge. The memory fades as Sam grabs my shoulders and steers me towards the ladder on the other side. Our laughter fills my ears, combining with the warmth of satin hands and hot, excited breath down my neck.

I blink, and I'm back on the ledge. Tears bite at my eyelashes, and I can't breathe. The steam chokes me, and I fight the urge to step back.

Metal. There's metal down there. Don't black out now.

A wind wraps itself around me from behind, but it also pulls the steam away. For a second, the opening is clear, and I can see into the empty space. What I see drives the rest of the breath out of my lungs.

Two metal doors rest feet away from the edge.

It's a way out. I've found a way out.

The wind changes directions suddenly, and I stumble backwards off the ledge. My feet fight to gain traction, but the dirt slides away under them. I grab for the ground with my good arm, holding the bad one as far away from the ground as possible.

Yet, there's little to be done when you're falling in reverse, stomach filled with that empty, sinking feeling of dread. My back hits the ground, and I'm rolling. Down the hill and towards my own death.