Fire and Brimstone and Salt
One of the angels said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” Genesis 19:17
The sky is orange, like a sunset at noon. I stand a few inches back from the edge of the cliff, my arms wrapped tightly around myself. Despite the roaring fire below, the wind is chill, slicing through my thin jacket and whipping my skirt around my legs.
Lilibet sits on the ground, leaning against a tree, orange and yellow leaves scattered around her, like bits of the sky fallen to earth. Behind us, Shay waits quietly, dark hair blowing across his face in the wind. I suppose we must be far enough away from the city now or he would have kept us running.
Sparks float over the city like fireflies dancing in the air. By the time they make their way to us, they have faded to specks of ash, grey smudges drifting among the trees. It is so peaceful, I could almost forget the panic of earlier, of Shay’s pounding on our door this morning, of running through the streets one hand in Shay’s and one in Lilibet’s, while hearing the roar of the fire behind us.
A soft, keening sob escapes Lilibet and I crouch beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. Shay kneels on her other side and watches us with sad dark eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispers.
I nod to him, not trusting my voice, and bow my head to Lilibet’s shoulder, hiding my face in her neck. Only a few hours ago, we were curled together in our bed, warm and safe. My head is aching and as I realize why, I laugh softly. I missed my usual morning coffee today in our mad rush to escape. “I’m having caffeine withdrawals,” I say to explain my out of place humour. I barely had time to dress, but my body is worried about coffee.
“May I?” Shay asks softly and I lift my head to meet his kind eyes. His hand hovers in the air between us, paused in reaching toward me.
I shrug and nod. We’ve only known Shay for a few months, but I’ve always been a good judge of character and he is unfailingly kind and good. I don’t know what he thinks he can do for me, but it can’t hurt to let him try.
Shay’s warm hand comes to rest on my forehead and I feel heat radiating out from the contact. It is not like the heat I feel when Lilibet touches me — this is platonic yet transcendent. The pain of caffeine deprivation fades before a warm wave that washes through my head and neck, leaving me refreshed and relaxed.
As Shay takes his hand back, I stare at him in shock. “What did you do?”
He smiles. “Your energy was out of balance.”
I shake my head. “And you fixed my chi or chakras or something?”
His smile widens. “Something like that.” He turns to look into the distance. “We should start walking.”
Lilibet lets out a long sigh and we get to our feet. “Where are we going?” she asks.
I lace my fingers with hers and look over my shoulder. I taste salt and realize I am crying. “Anywhere but here,” I tell her.
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