She didn't scream.
She didn't even try to run.
Her mind absently remembered the subtle widening of Amos' eyes as cold realisation crept upon them both like an icy finger tracing their spines.
She wouldn't be able to survive this.
The thought stunned her into an outer body experience. Aura couldn't have been mentally present when the world collapsed around her.
With the walls catapulting towards them, violently extinguishing the corridor light and striking into her back like an angry Titan, of course she dissociated. Submerged in darkness, she knew her body collided into a firm chest that took her in protectively, it didn't block the sound of the world groaning from her ears. But the sound did hurl her back into her senses.
It was a resonating groan, that went on like a call and response, repeating every so often from different directions. Someone— somewhere screamed but it was muffled to silence.
The air- too tight. Too tight for her to breathe with concrete attempting to snuff her out. Aura heaved, spluttering out the little air she had left, her limbs restricted and unable to move. How she hadn't been crushed to death already beneath all of it was beyond her.
It was the ringing in her ears that smothered out the last of the noise. Shrill in her mind, she didn't realise she was losing consciousness until her muscles went limp and her thoughts weren't stringing together. She couldn't even focus on Amos' voice in her mind, urging her to stay awake.
Her heart beat in a rhythm of consternation for the people she loved. It was the last thing she felt before she blacked out.
And just like that, after many years of forging soldiers, giving homes to refugees and providing a safe haven for the survivors in this realm, the compound had given up.
~
"Aura!"
Her name came with pressure, firm on her shoulders.
"Aura come on."
A quiet rumble of stones fell into each other.
"Hakeesee."
It was the acrid scent of toxic smoke that jerked her into full consciousness. Long gone was the heat that had set her limbs afire in the darkness of the basement, replacing it came the actual heat of real flames she could feel burning on the other side of the debris on top of her.
Her eyes were open, but she could still see nothing but small tendrils of light and dust.
A steady heart beat against her face, it's warmth enveloping her into safety. There were wings around her back, cocooning her so that she couldn't be impaled. The ability to move came back slowly, but the first thing she did was bundle the fabric against the warm chest beneath her, into her fist.
Above them came more rustling.
"Can you hear me?" The chest rumbled.
She inclined her head in a nod.
"Good. Skye is digging through the debris, I'm going to move you to my right so I can cover you with one wing, the other I'll use to push weight off of us. Keep your head down or something will get in your eyes."
YOU ARE READING
Don't Let Them Catch You
Paranormal"When the stars retreat, and the moon bleeds blue. When love bows to a pure soul, free of vengeance, and hatred and sorrow," his words were ushered, as if he were telling her a secret, "Is when I'll be with you." At the time, Aura didn't understand...
