Soul Bound

Chapter 2

Jacob ruffled the top of my head, like I was some kid, then turned away to help the people of Brar evacuate. Ignoring the sting on my pride from his gesture, I set off for home; there were so many people running around, trying to find loved ones and prepare to move. Luckily, we lived at the edge of town, so the crowd thinned out quickly and I started running on the open road.

Dad was outside, waiting for me, eyes alert. Even as far as we were from the town center, the bell could be heard from here. "What's going on? I saw the dragons."

"Jacob's home--but not for visiting." His smile faded. "There's a bad storm on its way. We have to go to the caves."

Just like that, he started herding the chickens into their bunker before packing the horses with provisions. I looked around as I helped Mom roll up food in blankets, noticing a certain tiny blonde wasn't helping us pack. "Where's Erika?"

She paused a moment, eyes wide. "She's by the pond with her friends. I have to-"

"I'll go get her. We'll meet you guys by the cave." The pond was too far away for Mom to get there in decent time.

I couldn't take Hiron--Dad needed him to carry provisions--so I ran. I ran as fast as my legs would let me. The pond was within the protected boundaries of the village, but it was on the outskirts. It took me half an hour to get there--and just in those thirty minutes the sky had gotten significantly darker and the wind had picked up. The wind pushed the usually calm water of the pond vigorously against the edge. The cattails whipped back and forth, jostling the ducks hiding within the plants. I could barely hear their protests over the rustling trees.

I caught sight of Erika's friends a little further down the pond. After taking a quick moment to catch my breath so I didn't look like a panicked lunatic when I reached them, I jogged the rest of the way and took inventory of the children. My heart sank. Erika wasn't with them. "Where's my sister?"

The oldest boy, Owen, pointed to the forest edge. "She's picking wildflowers. Are you okay, Eva?"

"I'm all right, but it's time to go home. There's a massive storm coming; we're leaving for the caves." I gripped his shoulders. He was the oldest by two years, only he knew exactly how to get to the cave. "Make sure everyone gets home, Owen. If the village is empty when you get there, take them to the caves. Their lives are on you." It was a lot of responsibility for a ten year old, but I knew his parents, and if he was anything like them, he'd see through it to the best of his ability.

The hard look he gave me confirmed what I had thought. He took the others' hands and started for home. Relieved to see the young leader take care of the other kids, I ran for Erika. She wasn't at the forest edge like Owen had alluded to, but I found a trail of picked flowers and followed it, calling her name over the wind.

My stomach knotted tighter with every step I took without finding my sister. The wind was too loud to hear anything and it was getting too dark to see anything. By the time I reached the end of the trail, a light rain had begun, slithering between the treetops and soaking through my clothes.

At last, I caught sight of a small balled up figure against a tree. Erika. She hadn't seen me yet, weeping into her knees. The once beautiful flowers she'd collected were withered at her feet, covered in mud.

"Erika!" I scooped her up into my arms. She was shivering. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I-I-I got lost!" she whimpered. I barely heard her over the fierce wind. "Then it started getting stormy and scary."

I rubbed her back and took a moment to calm down. She's fine. She's safe.

The rain came down harder, pelting my back. Lightning flashed through the canopy. Thunder soon followed. It was close. There was no more time.