#fridayflash "Let Me Help You"

*Today's #fridayflash comes back to The Last Prophetess. In fact, it happens not long after this flash piece "Run," which you can read here. Zare has come across Phoenix not long after her parents were kidnapped by the Amoran Government. This piece takes place about 10 months before The Last Prophetess.*

Let Me Help You

I stood within the shadows. Her shoulders shuddered with each breath. Small noises emerged from her, like a mouse’s squeaking. I didn’t think I would hear such sounds from her. Phoenix appeared alone, lost. I didn’t want to see her this way.

I turned to leave, but I couldn’t. Something was wrong. Something terrible. I swallowed the lump in my throat and stepped forward.

“There you are, Phoenix.” I clomped my boots extra loud in the tunnel. Give her time to compose herself.

Her back stiffened and hands fluttered to her face. She’d been crying. Why? She didn’t stand, though. Just pulled her knees closer to her chest and kept her back toward me.

“What do you want, Zare?”

I shrugged, even though she couldn’t see the gesture. “Nothing, really. Just wondering where you were at. None of you came for dinner.”

I was worried, I wanted to add but didn’t.

She squeezed her legs closer and buried her face behind a curtain of blue-black hair. I sank down beside her and nudged her with my shoulder.

“What happened?”

“Captures.”

We had sat in silence for so long that her voice startled me. I blinked. “Captures? Who?”

“Mom. Dad. They got them.”

Numb tingles flowed over my head and down to my toes. A stone seemed to settle into my stomach. I didn’t need to ask who “they” was. I knew. The Guards had gotten them. Probably because they were rebels. Against the President. Weren’t we all? It still didn’t mean Phoenix should be left alone. She was strong, but only fifteen. I had two more summers ahead of her. I was almost of age.

“You’re welcome to stay with our family. We can spare a roll.”

“I’m fine on my own.” Her voice came out flat, harsh. She still wouldn’t look at me.

“Mom’ll want you to stay. When she hears, you know.”

She shrugged.

I wanted to put my arms around her, tell her everything would be fine. I knew such platitudes would mean little. Nothing was fine in Amora. Hadn’t been for a long time. Instead, I sat close enough so my shoulder touched hers. We sat long enough that cold had seeped through our clothes until we shivered.

She finally stood, nearly stumbled against me when I rose from my position.

“Phoenix . . .”

“Well, you coming or not?” She stared at me, met my eyes for the first time since I found her. Her eyes were red-rimmed. It made the blue stand out more against them. She appeared harsher, colder, broken. She twisted on her heel and took out her hoverboard. She wouldn’t wait on me.

“Yeah, I’m coming.”

She already blasted down the tunnel, and all I could do was follow.

#fridayflash "First Hunting Trip"

*Today's #fridayflash involves Jason "Jace" Matthews and his dad as they go out on Jace's first hunting trip. Hunting is a favorite pastime in the county Starred takes place. This is a pre-Starred memory from the love interest of Rose and Mary Beth.*

First Hunting Trip

Jace crouched in the tree stand besides his dad. A breeze carried the scent of decaying leaves and reminded him of their walk through the woods. Rough bark scratched through his coat as he adjusted his stance. His eyes widened at the rifle at his dad’s side. He knew it was heavy in his eight-year-old hands, but he’d been practicing with it at home. Dad even took him to a shooting range, and he had a gun safety course.

He was ready.

Perhaps.

“Do you hear that?”

His dad’s breath tickled his ear, but he strained to listen. At first, he heard nothing, but then there was a faint scuffling sound, like someone brushing against leaves.

“What is it?” He winced at his voice. Was he too loud? Did he scare them way?

Dad put a gloved finger against his lips before pointing between some oak trees.

Jace turned and followed the tip of his finger. His eyes widened at the three deer along the edge of the clearing. They stepped farther into the forest, closer to them.

Dad nudged him, and when Jace looked at his dad, he smiled. He offered the rifle to his son.

Jace eased it into his hands. It was heavy, but he lifted it up so he could peer through the sight.

“Take your time, son. Make a clean kill or none at all. Just like we practiced.” His words rumbled through him.

Anticipation gave him a tingling feeling, as if he had to pee. He focused upon the deer’s body until everything lined up. Clean kill or nothing at all. He didn’t want the animal to suffer. The weight in the rifle seemed to triple as he fingered the trigger. Just right about there.

Boom!

The rifle shot echoed through the forest, hurt Jace’s ears. A flock of birds took off from a nearby tree. The deer bounded away. One, two, three. Uh, oh. He’d missed.

His shoulders sank as he passed the rifle back to his dad.

His dad’s arm slung around him and gave him a quick squeeze. “You were a little high, but a great first shot. We’ll get ’em next time, okay?”

He peered into his dad’s face. Wrinkles crinkled around his eyes. Smile crinkles, he liked to call them. He wasn’t mad or disappointed. Jace started to smile too.

“Yeah, next time.”

Both happy to just be together, dad and son settled into the tree stand and prepared for another long wait.