Hello! Welcome to another chapter! Okay, so before I begin, this chapter will be slow and long as it builds up to the climax of the chapter. Please let me know if you prefer short chapters, or long ones! Thank you and enjoy!
Astrid's P.O.V
"I got it!"
"You got it?!" I nodded and bounced up and down frantically. Heather pumped her fists in the air, laughing. Her done-up hair bouncing on her shoulders.
"You going to call him over now!?" I stopped moving and shook my head. Heather rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.
"You've got to be kidding?!" I shook my head again.
"No! We are just friends!" She snorted. I folded my arms and narrowed my eyes.
"Right. 'Just friends.'" She put in quotations. She chuckled as she dug through our red refrigerator, grabbing a bottle of wine. She stuck out her tongue as she tied a shiny, red ribbon on the cap.
"There! Got to impress the boss!" She stood back admiring her work. I chuckled.
"You going to another one of his fancy parties?" She nodded. Heather worked for a fashion industry. She was what I called the "off stage model," for she was so pretty, but she designed clothes. Not the girly, hot pink dresses, but functional, outdoor wear for women. Her boss often threw huge parties, to welcome celebrity models, big company buyers and more. Heather, his star designer, was always invited, and was allowed to bring guests. Heather always tried to get me to go, but I was never that type.
"How do I look?" I grinned. She wore a red, slim fitted dress, with silver heels, and simple silver hoops. And a matching silver purse.
"Like you're the one modeling!" She threw her head back as she laughed. She slipped in a few sketches in her bag, as well as her identification card... and a plus one invitation. I smirked and raised my eyebrows. She caught my glance and exhaled nervously.
"Soooo... Who's your plus one?" I rested my weight on the counter. She rolled her eyes but blushed.
"A boy I met." She stated quietly. I looked at her flabbergasted.
"You what!? And you didn't tell me?!" I threw my hands into the air and cocked my head for her to continue.
"Well, your love life is more important! They come and go for me, but you are a rare case! You are going to find the one on the first try!" I rolled my eye and scoffed. "His name is Issac. I met him at the park, and he has the sweetest bull dog!"
"... Oh my gods! Issac Ingerman? Kind of a big guy, with a dog named Meatlug?!" She nodded and blushed deeper. I slapped my head and looked at her jaw dropped with the coincidence.
"You know him?!" I nodded with a stupid grin glued on my face.
"He's one of Hicc-Henry's friends!" She shrugged, accepting the odd coincidence.
"Huh. Small world." She paused to brush dog hair off her dress, throwing a playful glare at me.
"Well I've got to go. Call Henry!" She called before closing the door behind her. I stared at our boring brown door for a minute, processing what she had said. I smiled.
I ran through the apartment, my bare feet pounding the creaky old wood floors. I went into to my closet, staring at my clothes. I changed from my usual clothes I used for work, and stood half naked, staring, almost nervously at the mess of my closet.
I ended up pulling on a pair of skinny jeans and a red, long sleeve shirt. I slid on some socks and converse. I glance in the mirror, looking at my messy braid, with strands of hair coming loose at every angle. I smiled.
Perfect.
I loved having the apartment to myself. Stormfly and I would slide across the tile in the kitchen in our socks. I would break into the Nutella jar and sit on the counter, eating several spoonfuls. Then I would chase Stormy around the living room, jumping over the couch and chair trying to catch her. She bolted around the coffee table, tail high in the air as she stuck her nose to the ground trying to find me. Stormfly had an excellent sense of smell. She could track me from a mile away. I stifled a laugh from behind the curtains, watching her pace around.
Her head shot up. She shot me a glare and sat down in front of me. She knew my game, and she was not amused. I laughed and jumped out, wrapping my arms around her. She howled happily as I scratched her favorite spot right underneath her jaw. Her tail wagged quickly, her body wiggling around so I could pet her even more. I laid on the floor with her, sprawled out and stared at the broken ceiling fan. She rolled on her back, all fours in the air, clearly enjoying the moment.
Suddenly her head shot up and her nostrails flared as she sniffed the air. A low growl boiled in her chest, as her ears raised with alert. I laughed.
"Relax girl! I'm sure it was just a neighbor." She gave a low 'woof' in disagreement, but I ignored her as I stood. The thought of calling Hiccup suddenly popped up in my head.
I padded over to my bag and rummaged through it for my phone.
"Damn it!" It was gone. Maybe I had left it at Hiccup's... but of course I couldn't call Hiccup to bring it too me because he had it. I groaned, mumbling a sarcastic 'great.'
Stormfly sniffed the air again with another low growl.
...
Hiccup's P.O.V
I sat on my couch, Toothless sleeping next to me as I listened to my dad lecture me about taking over the company. And I once again, ignored him. I sighed with a scowl. Gods. Anything to get me out of this? I groaned a little, making my father turn to me.
"Henry? Listen!" I rolled my eyes when his back turned. Suddenly a buzz came from the kitchen. I stood, knowing that my phone was in my pocket. Toothless flew off the couch and attempted to get me to race him to the kitchen.
Buzzzz!
I turned the corner and sitting on the counter was Astrid's phone. The lock screen was of her and Stormfly, and the icon was of someone named Heather. I bit my lip, not wanting to pick up and possibly disrupt Astrid's privacy. I picked up her phone and shoved it in my pocket.
"Henry! Come back, I'm not done!" My fathers booming voice rang through our entrance hallway, but I was already in the car. Oh thank you gods!
"Be right back Dad." I called through the open window. I shivered and rolled it back up, the cold evening October air sent shivers down my spine.
I weird giddiness I had never felt before stirred in my stomach on my drive to Astrid's home. After we left the hospital, she had given me her address. Now I was felt so lucky to have it. With each red light, my stomach did a flip flop. Why was I like this? I sat at the red light across from Veronica's Bakery. I blushed remembering our coffee outing. I tapped the steering wheel anxiously. Did this light always last this long?
A sudden siren woke me from my stare at the light, as two fire trucks came barreling down the road, sirens shrieking and engines roaring. I furrowed my eyebrows as two police cars and an ambulance followed. It must've been some emergency.
Suddenly, the car behind me honked. I looked up. The light was green. I grinned and stepped on the gas. I watched the stars above me as the orange color on the horizon faded, and the light of the stars became bolder.
My turn signal clicked as I turned the corner. Almost there.
What I saw nearly gave me a heart attack.
An apartment complex was raging with fire, sirens screaming, and people pooling at the bottom, watching in fear. Sparks and smoke rose into the air forming sickening shapes of darkness.
People coughed and cried and watched their home burn to the ground. My heartbeat picked up as I came closer. I skidded my car to a stop and threw my door open. I looked at the address on paper. And then on the burning building. One word rushed through my head.
Astrid.
I burst past the police line, despite unhappy cops yelling at me to stay back. I pushed my way through the crowd as I coughed from the ash that stuck to them. People were drenched in ash, the smell of burning flesh gathering in my nose.
"Astrid? Astrid!" I was screaming my voice hoarse now as she was nowhere to be found. People screamed and cried. Mothers tried to comfort children. Firefighters called for more ambulances and help. Even they looked frantic. Like they didn't know how to stop this.
My ears felt like they were bleeding from the deafening noise, but my heart beated faster and louder the longer I looked for Astrid. I growled in anger and fear. I bellowed her name several more times. Loud cracks, like a whip followed as the apartment stated to shrink within itself.
Then I heard it. In all the noise and mess of things. A loud howl from the broken down door. From the wall that had collapsed, was a small opening just big enough for someone to crawl through. The fire raged behind a white dog, although you couldn't tell it was white, from the thick coat of ash that covered her.
Stormfly.
Her low bark was heard throughout the crowd as she stood like a shadow in the fire behind her. Wind whipped past her charred fur, her head and ears raised with alert.
"Stormfly!" I shouted over the crowd. I shoved past a cop as she ran into my arms. She whined and jumped at me, snatching my sleeve and tugging me towards the door. My eyes widened at the cracklings fire. My lungs heaved for air. Oh gods! The air in there must have been even worse.
Stormfly howled. She seemed to be unhurt, but her nostrails flaired and she barked out into the death hole. Astrid was still in there.
I heaved one last breath of clear air.
"Find her girl!" Stormfly charged leaping through the small hole into the building. She barked for me to follow, and I did.
Men screamed from outside, but I could not hear them now. Things cracked and crumbled as the fire spread around me. I coughed, my chest heaving for fresh air. I looked around. The metal door to the elevator were shut, the reflection of the flames cracking causing a pit in my stomach. The door flashed these colors, and burned five times hotter than the fire itself.
My eyes watered, blurring my vision. The ash rose in thick clouds making me sneeze and cough. My lungs screamed for me to get out. They screamed for me not to speak.
"Astrid!?" I cried out this time. Panic had now over taken me to the point that I was hopelessly frantic. Stormfly barked and made her way up the stairs. Her nails dug into the coated floor, trying to get a grip.
I whipped around breathing harder, sucking any oxygen that was left. Large thuds and cracks, caused the walls to crumble. I jumped out of the way, my eyes widening as Stormfly howled again, I followed her sound, my vision blurred from the smoke. I coughed again, nearly collapsing from lack of clean air.
I carefully made way up the stairs that sank under my weight. I gasped.
"Astrid!" She was laying the staircase landing. Her chest heaved as she struggled to get free. Stormfly whimpered and licked the debris of her face. She turned her head awkwardly and squinted to see me.
"Hiccup!" She coughed in a hoarse voice. She struggled, her body rapidly breaking down. I rushed to her, sliding across the blackened floor on my knees.
"It's okay!" I tried to calm myself down more than anything, but my hands trembled, and the world began to spin. I needed air. And so did Astrid. A low creek came from the building. Oh gods we had only minutes.
I lifted the heavy beam just enough for Astrid to squirm through. She tried to stand, but collapsed again. Dirt and ash smeared over her panicked face made my heart jump in fear.
"Come on!" I screamed. Loud pops echoed through the hallway causing Astrid and I to wince. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she did the same as we hobbled towards the rapidly shrinking exit. We made our way down the stairs, the deep creek growing. I put my prosthetic forward when...
Astrid screamed. "Hiccup!" My foot fell through the floor trapping me. Oh gods. I pushed with my good foot, which also was my free one, trying to tug my way. She pulled me up the best she could, her breathing labored. Stormfly barked again.
The exit was collapsing.
A large crack pierced our ears as the ceiling came crashing down. I opened my eyes as tears ran down our cheeks from the smoke. Astrid had pulled me out a second before. I glanced down at my prosthetic. It was busted.
"Damn it!" I shouted as it was her turn to pick me up. Blood soaked my jeans from being cut when I fell. Sweat beaded down my face, the heat making me pant. A deafening shatter came from the main window as glass blasted and shot out, slicing Astrid arm. She let out a painful gasp as she started to drag both of us towards the burning exit. The fire roared, but I only heard a buzz in my ear. Astrid jerked forward and grabbed Stormfly's collar. We jerked again, as Stormfly weaved around the rumble till we came through the exit. Stormfly crawled out into the cold night.
"Hiccup go!" Astrid wheezed out, but I didn't listen. I pushed her out on her hands and knees, and followed her out. The freezing air stung my lungs as we collapsed on the sidewalk. People screamed, the fire roared, and Stormfly barked. But the stars above were gone as I blacked out.
...
I gasped as something warm and wet ran across my face. I sat up with a groan, to see Stormfly's nose in my face, inspecting me for injury. I rubbed her ears, making her tail wag.
"Hey girl. I'm okay." I whispered. I did my best to stand on one foot.
"Hey. Whoa now. We're taking you to the hospital." A paramedic spoke calmly. I shook my head and hobbled to my car. I wrapped the fire blanket tighter around me, for the nights were bitter cold.
"No. I'm fine. I need to find Astrid." She stiffened, but I didn't care. I opened the back seat and pulled off my busted prosthetic and replaced it with my spare. I pressed to the ground getting used to the feel. I nodded and looked around.
Trucks and police cars still littered the area, although the fire was slowly dimming. People still gathered below watching in horror. My lungs still burned, but I ignored it as I scanned the crowd for Astrid. There.
She was sitting on the curb staring into space. Her bloodied arm now carefully wrapped. She shivered between pained breaths. I slowly made my way up to her, Stormfly on my heels.
I sat down next to her and wrapped the blanket around her. She didn't look at me, but she handed half the blanket back, so I could wrap it around my own shoulders. I scooted closer, now sharing the blanket.
"How you feeling?" I whispered. She shrugged and gave a little nod.
"Okay." She mumbled. Her voice was tired and sore. She coughed softly, wincing at the similar sensation in her chest that I was feeling. Her fingers trembled still, and as I looked at mine, I saw that mine were too. She didn't look like she was going to cry, instead she looked lost.
I gently took her fingers in mine, feeling them shake against my own. She glanced down at them and then at me.
"Thank you." She whispered. I didn't say anything back as I watched her watch me. Those eyes. Even clouded and watery, they reflected the stars that twinkled in peace above. She squeezed my hand softly. Stormfly came around to her other side and laid by her side. She looked exhausted.
"Oh Stormy. What are we going to do?" She mumbled, looking at the worn out dog. I looked at her sadly. It made my heart sink.
"You can stay with me. I have plenty of space." She but her lip.
"I. I don't -" I cut her off. I shook my head.
"Its not a question. I'm more than happy to let stay." She nodded with a small, appreciative smile. Stormfly rested her chin on Astrid's lap as she stroked her ears. Astrid looked down, exhausted and rested her head on my shoulder. I sighed,trying to ease my stinging lungs and raw throat. I laid my head on hers and watched, in what felt like slow motion, the cars go by.
That's the chapter! Please review for me and let me know it you like long or short chapters. More about the fire will come later, next chapter will get more mysterious! Anyone else love Stormfly's big entrance? Stormfly will not be the only hero I promise! Anyway, thanks for reading. Until next time,
-Daisy