Chapter Thirty-Five
It takes me a long time to realise I'm conscious. Sound comes back to me first. Screams, a child's cry and a police siren. The flashing red and blue lights soon follow. I can taste the ground on my lips. For the moment, I don't care. My body aches, my head throbs.
It's the flickering of flame that raises me from my reverie.
I push on the ground with my fingers and haul myself to my feet. People are running all around me. I close my eyes and concentrate, holding my head to try and free myself of the stabbing pain behind my eyes. Instantly they appear, bright as stars, but dark with worry and terror. I'm home, but what's happened.
'Elle!' I call.
There's no reply. Who could hear me above the racket?
I'm barged from behind and I go flying forwards. The culprit runs away before I can see their face. It was clearly an accident, everyone's barging into everyone else. Some people lie on the floor, holding their knees to their chests like this will stop people trampling them. It's like I've arrived in the middle of a riot.
The ring of fire around us is the cause of alarm. The floor is black, scorched and charred, like an explosion burst out from the epicentre and then stopped a few hundred metres away. I can make out cars on their sides. Police and fire engines who are clearly with the living. We've burst back through and caused havoc. What else is new?
I walk forward, trying to gain a steady rhythm in my stride. I feel sick and feel the urge to sit on the floor. But I've seen a child holding a broken leg. As I blink I see them light up. She's among the dead.
I crouch beside her. She recoils from me.
'Where's Mr Teague?' she cries through puffy lips and streams of tears.
'He's helping other people,' I lie. 'But I can help you.' I grasp her hand and it seems to calm her a bit.
'It hurts,' she sobs. 'I hurt my leg.'
'I know it does,' I sympathise. 'But you know what? You're a superhero?'
She just cries in response. I don't think she understands.
'No, trust me, you're a superhero. You can heal yourself.'
I smile and nod as if this would confirm it for her.
'It hurts really badly,' she says. 'I've never done that before.'
'Every hero finds her powers eventually,' I say. 'Close your eyes and concentrate on getting up and walking away from here.'
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