New chapter! And it's a big action sequence with uncertain results.

The song for this one is "Stand My Ground" by Within Temptation.- Link in my profile

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Chapter 9

On Fire

I followed the Hummer down the old, familiar back roads, going well over the speed limit. They were headed to where the old Ipswich colony houses were. Finally I saw brake lights flash up ahead on the back of the Hummer and I slowed Aaron's truck, hiding around the bend so they couldn't see me. They pulled over violently onto the side of the road and flung their doors open. It was no surprise to see Reid explode out from the drivers seat. I waited thirty seconds, and then quietly opened my door to follow them.

"Reid! Wait!" Tyler called out. Reid stopped-mid stride and turned to face his best friend.

"We don't have time to wait!" Reid yelled back, panicky. "He's a psycho Ty; he could be hurting them right now!"

"We can't just barge in there," Tyler explained. "We need to listen first; we need to know what we're doing, or we're all as good as dead." Reid let out a frustrated sigh, but followed Tyler up to the Putnam barn.

If I let them get too far away, they'd be out of ear shot. I bent down and took off my heels that were sinking into the mud and discarded them in the nearest bush. Carefully I followed, making sure to keep a safe distance. I had no idea what I was doing but I couldn't leave now. It was like they said; someone could be killed, and I wasn't about to let that happen.

Reid and Tyler were near the door, listening intently on whatever was making the huge crashes I could hear from my crouched position behind a wagon over twenty five feet away. Part of me dying to know what was going on so that I could somehow help but the other part wanted nothing more than to leave in ignorance. Ignorance and safety.

Flashes of light were coming through the windows. I was so amazed that I didn't notice even I had moved. I unconsciously stepped out from behind the wagon I was hiding behind, trying to get a better look at the strange lights. I stepped on a twig that caused such a loud snap that both Reid and Tyler almost jumped out of their skin.

"What are you doing here?" Reid yelled at me. I didn't know what to say. After all that had happened it was hard to say that it was because I cared. After how I had behaved over the last few days, me saying that I cared would be laughable to them. Tyler just looked at me like he didn't believe I was really there. He quickly snapped out of it.

"You can't be here," he said; it was like he was pleading with me. "I'll explain everything later, but please, go back to the dorms."

"I can't," I said. My voice was horse, and I was shaking. "You know that I can't just leave."

"Please? This is dangerous. Chase has more power than we do, and he won't hesitate to kill you if you get in his way."

"I want to help. I care about Caleb and Sarah too. It's my right," I said, finding my voice. There was no way that I was leaving them all there. If anything happened I would never forgive myself for leaving. "Just let me help you."

There was another crash from inside the barn and Reid and Tyler looked at each other anxiously.

"There isn't any time for this," Reid said urgently looking at Tyler. Tyler nodded his head, and then looked me directly in the eyes.

"Stay here," he said sternly. Reid tugged his arm and Tyler followed him into the barn.

I looked after them, knowing not to follow. They would stop me, and then it would take them even longer to get to Caleb and Sarah.

I waited two minutes and then moved closer to the barn to get a better look at what was going on. I could see Sarah levitating towards the back of the barn. I could hear Chase laughing from somewhere, but I couldn't see him; I couldn't see Caleb either.

"He Ascended already," Tyler stated looking at his watch. He looked worried; I didn't think he knew where Caleb was either.

Suddenly there was a movement from an old shattered pile of wood, and Caleb pulled himself out of it. He saw Reid and Tyler standing at the door and looked angry. Chase followed his gaze and laid eyes on the two of them by the door.

"I told you to stay away!" Caleb scolded. He looked at them angrily once he got over the shock of seeing them there.

"Like I said before," Reid said seriously. "We've got your back." Chase started to laugh.

"If you think that the two of you being here is going to change the fact that Caleb is going to die tonight, you are so wrong." He was still laughing like a lunatic. It was probably the most frightening thing I'd ever seen.

"Get out of here!" Caleb commanded. He looked angry, scared, and worried all at the same time. He was obviously losing, and he wanted to protect his brothers.

"We're not leaving you," Tyler said determined. With out warning, Chase threw a ball of energy at Caleb; he deflected it, but barely. It ricocheted off him and hit one of the ancient pillars to his left. It crumbled taking a chunk of the ceiling with it. The boys all covered their heads, and spread out. It would have been no use letting Chase take them all out at once.

It was obvious that Caleb and Chase were the most powerful. Reid and Tyler were helping, but they were only capable of creating minor distractions. Every time either one of them made an advance Chase would just swat them away before turning his attention back to Caleb.

Walls were being blown apart, wood and dirt were flying everywhere, and the Sons weren't gaining any visible advantage.

I was just standing there, unable to move, and unable to help. The people I cared about most in the world were in danger and there was nothing I could do about it.

The wall that I was near was suddenly blasted. It took me by surprise and I hit the deck. When I landed I was clearly visible to Tyler who was standing near me, and to Chase, who was across the barn from me.

"Well well well, if it isn't Melly's ex best friend. You should fit in well with your little boyfriend and his brothers. They're good at betrayal. Just. Like. You." Chase started to form a ball of energy with a malicious look on his face. I knew he was going to try and hurt me, but all I could do was stare at him.

"Murphy, move!" Tyler yelled to me. I didn't hesitate; I rolled over and hid under an over turned cart that had been thrown outside when the wall was hit.

What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. Tyler was looking over his shoulder at me. Our eyes met, and I felt every emotion for him that I had been trying to suppress as strongly as ever. I loved him, and I always would. This danger meant nothing. All that mattered was that I loved him, and in that instant, I could see in his eyes that he loved me too, more than anything.

Then I saw movement in the background. Chase lifted his arm, and sent a wave of powerful energy directly at Tyler. It hit him square in the chest, and he was launched into the nearest wall. I could hear the crack as his head slammed into the wall from where I was thirty yards away, and it was all my fault. The eyes which had held so much love for me only moments before, were closed. I wished it was me who was in danger, not him, never him.

I let out a gasp and immediately scrambled up from my safe spot to go to him. What I hadn't noticed was that when Chase had hit him, he had knocked over a lantern. There was now a huge wall of fire separating me from Tyler. If I didn't get to him in the next few moments, he would be dead if he wasn't already. Tears of smoke blurred my vision, and I was half crazed by fear. He had to be alright, I loved him. I had to tell him, he needed to know that I loved him, and that I was wrong. I couldn't live without him.

Caleb, Chase, and Reid were all outside now. The fighting was thankfully away from us. I quickly looked around, trying to find any way to reach Tyler. Thankfully there were so many holes in the walls of the old barn that there were ways for me to get around, but I didn't have much time.

I circled around the outside of the barn, trying to find the best place to enter. I finally found one, and I clumsily barreled into it. I didn't care that I had no shoes on or that I might get burned. The only thing that mattered is that I got Tyler out of the barn, and somewhere safe.

I caught my foot on the opening, and fell over, narrowly missing the flames. Pulling myself up, I threw myself forward, dragging my dress through the flames. I didn't have much time! I quickly and desperately patted my dress until the flames were gone. There would no doubt be a severe burn there, but I couldn't feel it, at least not now; I was too focused.

The distance from where I entered and where Tyler was laying was further than I had anticipated, but there was no other way. I trudged through the debris and finally came upon him.

I bent down next to him and felt his pulse; it was there, but barely. There was no time to waste. I needed to get him out of there. The fire was closing in and there was so much distance to cover.

"I love you," I whispered in his ear, even though I knew that he couldn't hear me. I grabbed his arms, and started to pull him in the direction of the safe path out that was getting more and more dangerous by the second.

I tugged and pulled as hard as I could, but we were going too slowly. At this rate we would be dead in a matter of minutes. I could try harder than this. I could get him out. I was trying to think positively, but the flames were closing in, licking the backs of my heels and making it harder for me to breathe. I couldn't give up and I wouldn't give up, even if it took me to my dying breath, I wouldn't leave him in there.

His pant leg caught fire, and I had to let go of his arms to put it out with my hands. I could see the burns beginning to form from putting out the fire on our clothes. If my mind wasn't so set on saving Tyler, I would have passed out from shock and pain.

I was pulling him so hard that I could barely let out choking sobs and screamed pleas for help from God. I was never very religious, but today I hoped there was a God because I needed him. I was finally getting somewhere. We were more than halfway to the opening.

I couldn't breathe. Every time I tried to intake some oxygen, it felt like I was choking on smoke. There was no air in any breath that I took. This only inspired me to pull harder. I was almost there. My hands were in so much pain, that I almost couldn't hold on. I could feel the skin being pulled off of my hands. With on last step, I pulled Tyler out onto the lawn, and collapsed. The sudden oxygen was too much for me to handle and I threw up in the grass.

Tyler was lying on the grass, still not moving. I stood over him in my now ruined dress, with the rain pouring from the sky. The ash from the fire blended in with the gray of my dress, the wind and rain washing it away. I could feel the steam burning my legs but I didn't care. I could hear Caleb still fighting with Chase, but that didn't matter. I fell to my knees next to Tyler, sinking into the mud.

"Wake up," I demanded in a raspy voice that wasn't my own. "Please look at me Tyler," I pleaded. He still wasn't moving. I started to sob uncontrollably. Loud, heart wrenching sobs. "I love you! Please wake up?" There was so much energy gone from my body that I couldn't hold myself up in the propped position anymore. With one last sob, I collapsed onto Tyler's chest.

I woke up in a hospital bed two days later, not knowing if he was dead or alive.

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