Flames and Starlight

Ruben helped Laura’s family get ready to go to a shelter. The whole house was in a rush of activity as they tried to get everything ready. Everyone was scared and panicking and had no idea what was going to happen.

Everyone had seen Kane Moonblood’s terrifying broadcast and Guardians had arrived in the neighborhood to escort everyone to a shelter. Guardians had driven their vans into the neighborhood so they could transport the residents in the neighborhood to the nearest shelter and were moving quickly.

Ruben helped the family get ready and warned them to only pack the necessary essentials since time was short.

As he helped Laura’s family, he kept trying to reach Mark. His uncle wasn’t responding and he was worried sick. Mark kept his phone on him at all times and was great at answering any calls or texts. He knew something must’ve happened.

The worse scenarios kept playing out in his mind and it was scaring him shitless. He couldn’t take anything happening to the only family he had. He couldn’t take having no family at all.

He groaned and rubbed his hand over his face. The anxiety he was feeling was overwhelming to the point he had to lean against the wall.

He tried to be positive. He tried telling himself that Mark lost his phone in the chaos that was happening and was at a shelter right now waiting for him. Or his phone died and he didn’t have access to a charger. He was safe and he would see him soon.

His anxiety didn’t lessen. He sat down on the couch and watched Laura help her father pick out some first-aid supplies to fit in his duffle bag. He knew deep down something had happened to Mark and it was killing him to not be out there looking for him.

“Everything okay?” Alison asked and sat down next to him.

Ruben looked over at her in surprise. In all the years he’d known Alison, she never asked him if he was okay, not one time.

“I can’t reach Mark,” he said and waved his phone at her. “I’ve been trying to reach him for two hours.”

“The lines are down in certain sections of the City,” she said. “That might be why he’s not responding.”

He rubbed his hand over his face again. “I just can’t shake the feeling something bad happened.”

“I understand. I know it’s nerve-wracking. I’ve been trying to reach my boyfriend and his family too but can’t get them. I know how you feel. I hope you can talk to him soon.”

“Thank you.” He was taken aback by how nice she was being at the moment. She’d always been the most sullen, moody, rude creature he’d ever met in his life. Could Alison Harper actually be turning nice now? And all it took was Kane Moonblood coming back to actually make her a decent being?

“And thank you for encouraging her to come over here. I’ve really missed her.”

They both looked over at Laura, who was talking to her parents in the kitchen.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Enough that you were rude to her when we arrived and you didn’t bother to call her at least once since she left?”

She winced. “I know I was a bitch. But I did miss her. I know you don’t believe me but I did. It was great seeing her today.”

“I did it for her, not for you.”

“Still, thank you.”

She got up and walked away. He watched her go, wondering what came over her. Huh. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who had a change of heart.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when someone pounded on the front door. Mr. Harper answered it and it was a Guardian who informed him it was time to go.

All of them were silent as they left the house. A van was in their driveway and inside was the family that lived next door to the Harper family. Ruben and Laura stood back to let her parents, Alison, and Derek get in.

Ruben and Laura were about to climb in when the driver of the van called back, “Sorry, no more room.”

Ruben felt his heart sink and he heard Laura exclaim, “What?”

“Seriously?” he heard Derek say from inside but the door shut before he could hear what else he said.

The van drove off unceremoniously and Ruben and Laura watched it go.

“Crap,” he heard her mutter and run her hand through her wild, curly hair in agitation.

“I apologize for that,” the Guardian that’d knocked on their door, a sorceress, said. “Don’t worry, you will be going to the same shelter as your family. A van will be arriving shortly - in fact, here it is.”

A van pulled up just then. The Guardian opened the back door and Ruben and Laura got in. They were surprised when no one else was in there.

The passenger door opened and the sorceress Guardian slid into the passenger seat. “Your house was the last on the block so you’re the only two here.”

They drove in complete silence for a while. He could tell Laura was scared. He took her hand and squeezed it gently, trying to comfort her as much as he could.

He wasn’t ashamed to admit he was scared as well. Anyone with common sense would be scared. It was a scary time for everyone. When he read about Kane Moonblood and everything he’d done in school, it terrified him just reading about it. Now he had to live through it.

They’d driven out of the neighborhood when something crashed into the side of the van. Everyone yelled out as the van spun out of control and then crashed into a nearby pole. The sound of scraping metal and glass shattering filled the air. Ruben felt his entire body jerk to the side and slam into his door. He cried out as his head struck his window. Bright spots filled his vision and pain shot through his temple.

He groaned and touched his head. His vision was blurring and he was seeing double vision. He blinked rapidly, trying to get his vision under control. Something warm trickled down the side of his face.

“Ru? Ru?”

He turned to the sound of Laura’s voice and blinked. He saw two of her and was aware of her tugging on his arm.

“We have to go!” she screamed and he winced as her voice pierced his skull.

He gave his head a shake and managed to get his vision under control.

“Open your door,” she instructed and he managed to comprehend what she was saying.

He managed to kick the door open and felt the pain in his head lessen. His healing abilities were kicking in and his head injury was already healing.

They scrambled out of the van and were shocked to see the two Guardians had been pulled out of the van and were being attacked by two gargoyles.

“Stop!” he yelled at them but realized their eyes were glowing an eerie green. He realized it was like that shapeshifter that’d attacked him, along with the supernaturals that had made the various attacks all throughout Raven City.

Ruben felt the air leave his lungs when he could see that the Guardians were dying. They were on the ground and the gargoyles were pummeling them over and over. Their eyes were nearly lifeless though the sorceress Guardian locked eyes with him for a brief moment and mouthed, “Go.”

Ruben felt cold-hearted for leaving them but there was nothing he or Laura could do. He grabbed her arm but she dug in her heels.

“We have to help them!” she shouted.

“It’s too late for them!” he shouted back. “We have to go or we’ll end up like them!”

She finally came along and they ran away. After several feet, they shifted into peregrine falcons and flew away from there as fast as they could. Luckily, the gargoyle’s intent was on the Guardians. They managed to escape the horrendous scene.

They flew into the sky and didn’t look back.