Bones of Fire (The Fire Series #1)

Chapter Two

Sometimes the ride from Stone Mountain to Doraville took forty minutes or so if the traffic was bad, but tonight Interstate 285 had only light traffic and there were no wrecks.  

This is great, Edwin thought to himself, as he enjoyed the quiet and flowed with the fast moving traffic. We should make good time.  

There were very few things that could upset Edwin Styles.  Yet one thing always bugged him, and that was to arrive anywhere late, even a minute late.  According to him, as everyone in the house knew and was reminded periodically, "There is no better way to tell a person he isn't important than to arrive late."  

Edwin looked at the clock in the dash. Six o'clock even.  Good. Suddenly, there was a clap of thunder and the light drizzle turned into a blinding downpour. He flipped the lever to turn his windshield wipers from intermittent to fast. Nothing happened, except that the wipers stop working altogether.  

Edwin feverishly worked the lever to try to start the wipers again. "Daddy, turn on the wipers.  You can't see!" Little Christopher's plea sounded older than his three years.  

"Honey, what's wrong?" Barbara asked. Fear gripped her heart.  

Edwin didn't answer. He looked nervously out the side windows. He couldn't see anything except the vague outlines of the cars around him. He wanted to slow down to minimize the impact should they wreck, but that would probably cause one.  His eyes strained to follow the dashed lines and stay in his own lane. 

Baaooonk!  Baaooonk!  

An eighteen-wheeler directly behind them tried to get them to change lanes so he could speed up. The truck’s horn sounded to their other son, Andrew, like the call of death.  He gripped his seat belt until his knuckles almost popped, his face frozen in a timeless trance of horror. "We're going to die," he said with helpless resignation.  

Everyone in the car was locked into their own world of horror and fear. They knew the loud crash and the twisting of metal against their flesh was coming.  Everyone except Sharon.  

Sharon often seemed out of place in the Styles household.  At times she appeared to be in a world all her own, oblivious to the clamor and confusion of life, following the dictates of an inner peace that caused her to shine in the darkness.  

Sharon wasn't in the least bit moved by the dangerous predicament they were in. As her family ordered tombstones and grave plots, she bowed her head in prayer to the Comfort of her life. She prayed silently. Lord Jesus, help us. An angel appeared over their car. Please don't let anything bad happen.  We are your workmanship, created unto good works.  What good can possibly come out of our deaths?  I don't believe you want us to die like this.  Spare us that we may continue to bring glory to your wonderful name.  Thank you for delivering us, Jesus.  

Sharon lifted her head.  Her face radiated joy and serenity. An unexplainable buoyancy coursed through her soul that eliminated every trace of apprehension.  

There was a muffled popping sound and the car pulled to the right. Edwin slammed on the brakes and immediately regretted it.  The Explorer spun a full 360 degrees. Everything was in slow motion now.  

The sounds of horns blaring echoed through the car and added to the stark panic. Out of the corner of her eye Barbara caught a glimpse of Kentucky Fried Chicken as the car spun. Is that the last thing I'm going to see before I die?  

The demon never saw it coming.  Trin's fist shot through the air with magnum force and caught the unwary spirit directly under the chin.  The crushing force of the blow snapped his head upward. For a microsecond his neck tightened just before his head left his body.