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Chapter 4
I’m nearly upon my friend. He knows this, we survivors of the bloom. I don’t mean to follow him. I’m just running in the same direction. Running away. Away. But then, my porcelain stare wells, and I stop.
He senses this too and for some reason, he’s also stopping. All bent on catching air, he grabs a glance above, as do I, and between, he tries to say something but instead just waves his hand to me. An urge to follow.
I shake my head and despite the chill, I swipe sweat from my forehead with one burnt finger and steal a glance around my braced arm. We’re leaving them. Left them to their fate. The white spikes ablaze. The fires are spreading across the scrub and if I’m honest, I can hear them now. I can hear their agony. Their yells in the ginger light. I swallow and glance at my companion again. He’s scanning the sky while I lean over. And when he looks back, he jerks his head the other way. I nod with a slow blink.
We ar…
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