Chapter 10
Jem Plays with Fire
My instinct immediately took over as I lifted my skirt slightly and sprinted after the mob.
The swarm of people grew to well over a hundred clustering around the heart of the city. Desperately I attempted to break through the red and orange mass that was the townspeople. I could tell from my highly tuned senses that Jem was in the middle of the mob, that and it was hard not to guess he was there from all of his screaming.
"Let me through!" I shouted at the group of people ahead of me. Trying to shoulder my way through the crowd I roughly slammed into the back of a big guy in a torn shirt with ash on his face and chest. He slowly turned around to scowl at me in disgust as I continued to try to scramble by him.
Grabbing me by my collar the man hoisted me up a good foot off the ground to look him in the eye. "We're all anxious to see the demon burn, but you're getting on my nerves, mutt." His voice was coarse, like rock scraping against rock.
I felt my eyes go as wide as saucers. They were going to burn Jem?
That tears it. Determined to get to my friend I wadded up as much saliva as I could and spit right on his ugly, scared face (If you must know how I picked up on this little trick, Chris taught me it over dinner). That did it because the man dropped me, and I cut through the mob like a weed hacker. Unfortunately for this narrator the man with my DNA all over his face was catching up to me. A tip for track runners, when training it may be helpful to have a seriously ticked off guy chase you around your about-to-be-burnt-to-a-crisp friend, because not one time in your life will you move as fast as you do then. Obviously I speak from experience.
"Jem! Jem!" I cried, wishing he would hear me.
The response was slurred, but his message got through, "-iss Terra! I'm –o your ri—t!
Swerving to my right I was shocked to see poor little Jem tied to a post with the mob slashing out at him with knives and throwing rocks at him. I knocked my way into the center just to be hauled back into the crowd by spit-dude.
To my horror I saw torches being lit and passed from person to person in the mob. The flames were getting dangerously close to Jem. I was preoccupied as the man pressed a knife to my throat.
Damon woke with a start. His heart was pounding, yet he didn't know why. I didn't have a nightmare. In fact the white-haired boy had nothing but pleasant dreams. So why did he feel so uneasy?
Shaking Dustin awake and getting to his feet Damon rushed out of the shelter and towards the City of Flames.
Dustin scrambled after him tripping tiredly over a log.
"Damon. What are we up for so early?" He yawned.
Damon's answer was short and tense, "I don't know. We've just got to get to The City of Flames now."
Pulling his hood over his head Dustin followed obediently. The woods at this time of night were to say the very least, frightening. The boys kept on tripping over shrubs or jumping at the slightest noise.
"You're crazy, man!" Dustin shouted at Damon. He wasn't angry at Damon, per say, but Dustin was just frustrated at his own blindness in the dark forest.
Not slowing, Damon ignored him and trudged on ahead like a freight train.
This only angered his friend more, "What the heck are we doing out here anyway! We have no freakin' idea where we're going, I can only see an freakin' inch in front of my face, and-oh yeah-WE CAN GET THERE IN THE FREAKIN' MORNING!"
"It'll be too late by morning," Damon didn't stop walking, but his voice was so filled with worry that Dustin calmed down slightly.
"What do you mean?" He asked helping move a branch, so it wouldn't smack him in the face.
"I-" Damon stuttered, thinking hard before he answered, "There's something wrong with Scarlet."
The dark green of the vegetation that surrounded them twisted into unfamiliar and menacing shapes. "You can't possibly tell that," Dustin concluded, yet his eyes seemed doubtful. "Wait, what was that?" His head snapped up towards a nearby bush.
"It's probably nothing." Damon insisted, "Let's keep going." However, a bunch of the monkeys sprang at both boys.
Dustin and Damon fought to get free. They were stripped of their weapons and thrown into the middle of a big lava stone rock.
"Really?" Damon cried, "We were almost there, and this happens!"
Dustin was in just as bad a mood, "Yeah tell me about it. Why does this keep happening?"
A shadow lurked in front of them. The dark humanoid figure pauses wielding a club shaped object above his head.
The ever optimist Dustin remarked, "Oh yeah, we're dead."
"FELLLAS!" Chris leaped down with his drumstick (from a chicken for those who are a little slow.)
"AHHHHHH!" Damon and Dustin screamed.
Christopher leaned against the rock, "Oh come on, guys, I'm not scary. Anyways what in the Sam heck are ya doing out in the woods at this hour?"
"We could ask you the same question," Damon countered.
Dustin cut in, "Well, this genius right 'ere thought it'd be a good idea to romp around the woods because Scarlet was in mortal danger." He waved his hands in a frightened gesture when he said 'mortal danger'.
"Danger?" Christopher now looked interested.
"Yeah he can sense it," Dustin remarked snidely.
"Quit adding emphasis to unimportant words." Damon scolded, "What matters is that we have to get to the city to save Scarlet and Jem."
"In that case," The Lord of the Monkeys said, "let's go to the City of Flames." With the help of Chris's minions, the three boys reached the city in record time. It wasn't hard to spot Jem and Scarlet either, considering they were both tied to a burning stake in the middle of a mob.
I have to admit. Being burned at the stake is not fun. After I was caught, they decided if I wanted to stay with Jem so bad I could die with him. Translation: we're both screwed.
The fire was already hurriedly devouring the hay placed at our feet. Jem and I shuffled to the non-flaming side of the stake. It seemed ironic that we were clinging to the very thing that would at some point kill us, but it provided protection from the flames and the random objects that were being thrown at us. The people seemed angrier at Jem, so he took more of the pain. No really, someone threw a live chicken at his face. It kind-of hurt to look at him all scraped up. Blood trickled from a cut on his right temple to his eye that was swollen shut from when a guy came up and punched him.
I tried to comfort him by holding on lightly to his elbow. Looking down I whispered, "I wish Damon was here."
Even though he looked like the hunch back of Notre Dame, Jem smirked at me and cocked an eyebrow.
Too rushed I added, "Dustin and Christopher too."
"Uh-huh…" Jem rolled his eyes at me.
My cheeks flushed, "Is this really how we're going to spend our last conversation? Fighting about how I don't like Damon."
"I didn't say anything about your liking Damon, Miss Terra."
"You implied it, which is the same thing."
"No, it is not."
"Is so."
"Is not."
We both yelped as the stake caught fire. The flames licked hungrily at my dress. I clutched Jem's sleeve like it was the last thing I would ever hold, and it looks like it would be.
"Miss Terra?" Jem asked in a small voice.
"Just Scarlet now I think, Jem."
"Right, Scarlet, forget about me, save yourself if you can." At that moment there was a strange sound and I looked up just fast enough to see Damon swing in on a rope, cut me free, and carry me off to the top of a building.
"Well if it was that easy!" Jem shouted after us, "Come save me too!" Dustin followed the same way Damon did and cut Jem loose as Christopher came in and signaled a bunch of purple, monkeys?, to attack. Wow those monkeys could cause some damage. They were pulling hair, throwing food, and spiting on them.
"STOP!" We all looked down to see Pip and Ethan putting an end the chaos.
"Pip, Ethan!" I cried happily and started to go down the building, but Damon still held me around my shoulders in an almost possessive way. He saw my expression and then he released me as he slinked away into the shadows. When I got to the two royal family members I hugged Pip, but Ethan put his arm around my shoulders just as Damon had.
"How dare you try to kill my fiancé and her friend?" He bellowed. I felt my cheeks go red when he said 'fiancé'. Christopher gained control of his monkeys and sent them back into the woods. Jem and Dustin were right behind me.
The crowd looked shocked and apologetic. "We're eternally sorry!" One woman said handing Jem a really big teddy bear, "Please accept our apology."
Jem, who was too sweet to refuse anyone, said, "Of course I forgive you."
The crowd of people cheered. "We must have a grand festival for these kind people!" They chorused.
Dustin leaned against the bar table as Jem hugged his teddy bear. Music played and everyone was dancing. It's amazing that a scene of terror and death could change so quickly. The miniature fire orbs lit up the center of town as everyone laughed together.
"Hey Jem?" Dustin asked.
He didn't respond. Jem just was too wrapped up in his overgrown stuffed animal. Annoyed, Dustin stretched his arm out, threatening to rip the teddy from its owner. Jem glared at Dustin, but at least now he had his attention.
"Have you seen Scarlet or Christopher?"
Jem surveyed the party, "Christopher is eating all of the city's fruit supply, and Scarlet is slow dancing with His Highness."
"What?" Dustin sat up quickly. Instantly he found Scarlet dancing with Ethan. Oh crap he thought Damon's gonna be heartbroken if he sees this. Then it got worse. Without warning Ethan started to lean in to kiss Scarlet.
"I'll be right back!" Dustin called to Jem as he raced towards them. Doing the first thing that popped into his mind Dustin sliced right in between Ethan and Scarlet.
"Mr. Wilcons? What on earth-" Ethan started.
"-can I dance with you Prince Ethan?" Dustin said quickly. Scarlet looked shocked and embarrassed as she retreated to sit by Jem and Chris, who had a boatload of fruit with him.
"Um…sure." Ethan agreed. And the two boys started dancing. Dustin refused the urge to vomit as Ethan put his hand on his hip.
All three of Dustin's friends looked horrified, well except Chris who smiled wickedly and mouthed the words I can't wait 'till Alex hears this.
Damon owes me big time. Dustin swore.