Oktober pulled me forward again, and I forced my leaden legs to move.He practically dragged me after him, not letting me slow for even a moment.
We burst from the tree line, a collection of gasping, not slowing as we sprinted for the lake.The surface of the water reflected the inferno that pursued us, ripples of gold and crimson dancing across water that had been such a haven of peace just days before.Behind us, the forest had transformed into some kind of hell so intense I could feel the moisture being sucked from my skin.The smoke scorched my throat with each desperate breath.Oktober’s hand was the only anchor keeping me from collapsing as the reality struck brutally clear.The fire now surrounded us on three sides with the water and the rock wall at our back.
“Get in the water now!”Inferno’s warning came seconds before a massive gust of heated air slammed into us from behind.The force of the gale nearly knocked me off my feet, the heat so intense it felt like opening a hot oven door in your face.A shower of burning embers rained down, catching in my hair.I screamed as the smell of burning hair filled my nostrils, my hands frantically batting at my head.
“Sorry,Kätzchen,” Oktober growled.Before I could process his words, his hands clamped around my waist.In one powerful motion, he lifted me off my feet and literally threw me into the water.I had just enough time to gasp before hitting the surface, the shock of cold after the intense heat stunning my system.
I plunged beneath the dark water, which was only about waist deep, but I landed butt first and so went completely under.I managed to get my legs under me and came up coughing and sputtering.
“Swim for the falls,Kätzchen!Now!”Oktober’s voice cut everything else around me, the command brooking no argument.
I turned toward the waterfall and dove beneath the shallow water, which became deeper the farther I swam.Behind me came the splash of bodies hitting water as the men followed.I forced my arms to move, each stroke feeling like I was pulling through mud rather than water.My jeans had become leaden weights, my shoes impossible anchors.I briefly considered trying to kick them off but knew I couldn’t spare even those seconds.
Steam rose where burning debris fell into the water, creating an otherworldly mist that further obscured my vision.Something grabbed my ankle.I screamed, inhaling water before I realized it was Oktober, now swimming beside me.Without speaking, he wrapped one arm around my waist, using the other to propel us both forward.
The roar of the falls grew louder, blending with the infernal sound of the firestorm consuming the forest.Through the smoke and spray, I could finally see our destination.The thin curtain of water poured down the rock face, and behind it, the small depression we’d discovered during our picnic.
Pain reached the falls first, hauling himself up onto the slippery rock ledge that formed the base of our shelter.He reached down, strong hands grabbing mine and pulling me from Oktober’s grasp.I collapsed against the cool stone wall, gasping for breath.
Oktober and Inferno followed, with Noose bringing up the rear.They formed a half-circle around me, their bodies creating a human shield between me and the outer edge of our sanctuary.Behind the falls the air was slightly clearer, the constant spray of water knocking down some of the smoke and ash.
Through the shimmering curtain of water, I could see the shoreline become engulfed as I looked over my shoulder.Trees that had stood for decades stood fully engulfed in flame before collapsing.The heat penetrated even our watery refuge on the gusts of wind that seemed to be shooting straight at us.
Oktober’s solid body was mashed against mine, trapping me between the rock wall and him.The waterfall hit his back, but we couldn’t squeeze in the small space any farther.“You’re going to be fine,” he murmured, his lips close to my ear so I could hear him above the falls and the raging wind.“I’ve got you.”
“Fire’s making a run along both shorelines,” Inferno reported, voice tight.“Lake’s too narrow to stop it.It’ll jump across eventually.”
“How long?”Pain asked sharply.
“Depends on the wind.Not long.”
I felt Oktober’s arm tighten around me just before a burning branch crashed into the water just yards from our shelter, sending up a plume of steam and a shower of sparks that penetrated our watery curtain.Noose hissed as an ember landed on his shoulder, quickly brushing it away before it could burn through his shirt.
“We can’t stay here indefinitely,” Pain said, voicing what we all knew but didn’t want to acknowledge.“Sooner or later, we’ll have to move.”
I leaned my head against Oktober’s shoulder, watching through the veil of water as my world burned.The lake that had brought me peace, the forests that had sheltered me, the cabin where I’d found a new beginning, all of it consumed in a hungry tide of destruction that showed no signs of abating.And we were trapped in its path, our sanctuary temporary at best.
The wind shifted again, sending a fresh wave of scorching air and a few embers through our watery sanctuary.Pain and Inferno huddled at the edge of the falls, having moved after the last gusts shifted.Their voices were low but tense as they assessed our dwindling options.I caught fragments of their debate but honestly didn’t want to know.Reminded me of a movie I saw once.The phrase “scariest environment imaginable” kept running through my head and my own internal laughter sounded a bit maniacal.
Inferno shook his head grimly.“We can’t wait this out.”He spoke softly, like he muttered to himself.“Fire this size, with winds like these, it creates its own weather system.There have been fires in this area big enough to form pyrocumulus clouds.When the cloud collapses, it will usually send embers miles ahead of the main front.”
“And what’s your suggestion?”Pain countered, his doctor’s composure fraying at the edges.“We can’t outrun it.Every path back to the road is cut off.”
“Creek bed,” Inferno said, pointing to where the waterfall’s runoff formed a narrow stream leading away from the lake.“Follows the valley floor.Might be our best chance.”
Oktober remained pressed against me, one arm wrapped firmly around my back and shoulders, practically engulfing me with himself.His muscles tensed and he constantly scanned beyond the falls for threats, his frame positioned to shield me from any danger that might penetrate our precarious shelter.
“Kätzchen,” he whispered, lips close to my ear.“Whatever we do next, stay close to me and don’t let go of my hand unless I tell you.Even if I’m not gripping your hand, you cling like your life depends on it.Hear me?We will not get separated again.”
I nodded, unable to find my voice.The reality of our situation settled over me like a physical weight.We were trapped, surrounded by an inferno that showed no signs of mercy, with options dwindling by the minute.
“I’m sorry I didn’t ask you to stay with me when your club left.”I looked at Oktober, needing him to hear me.“I’m sorry I didn’t ask to go with you.And most of all, I’m sorry I didn’t leave the second you pointed out how wrong everything was.”I sobbed out the last, clutching his shirt as I looked up at him.If we died here, I wanted his face to be the last thing I saw.
A deep, ominous groan that seemed to emanate from the earth itself introduced a new horror.We all froze, searching to locate the source.At the lake’s edge, perhaps thirty yards from our shelter, a massive pine stood sentinel.Its trunk, thicker than a man’s body, swayed slightly as the ground beneath it shifted and cracked.The roots, already partially exposed by erosion, began to lift and separate from the soil.
“It’s going,” Inferno said, voice tight with urgency.“We need to move!Now!”
No one argued this time.Oktober pulled me to my feet, his grip on my hand firm as we splashed from behind the falls into the shallow creek bed.The water barely reached mid-calf, offering minimal protection from the ambient heat that pressed down on us like a physical force.Inferno led the way, followed by Pain, with Oktober and me behind them and Noose bringing up the rear.
