Phoenix: Book One of The Stardust Series Read Online Free PDF Page B

raced wildly. I picked up the pace while I tried to
reassure myself that it was probably nothing. Moving quickly, my feet gripped
my shoes, and I yanked on my purse strap, forcing it to stop bouncing on my
hip.
    As the trees thinned
closer to the house, the smell of burning filled my nostrils, and smoke was
visible in the sky.My mind full of panic, I started sprinting toward
the house, the entire time hoping that it wasn’t on fire. The temperature
continued to rise, and my mouth felt dry. When the house came into view, I
could see flames. Oh my god.
    The area around the
house was eerily quiet outside the roar of the fire. I couldn’t see or hear any
signs of Dad. I wanted to call out to him, but I was breathless and choked with
fear. I struggled through the overgrown landscape toward the house, fighting
against downed tree limbs and other obstacles. I moved forward blindly, intent
on making it to the house as quickly as possible.
    Time seemed to slow. My
foot caught and I lost control, flying forward to the ground. I landed on my
hands and knees, rocks and fragments of wood grinding into my skin. I tried to
stand quickly, but my ankle twinged, and I struggled to my feet. I have to
get to the house. I have to find Dad, I thought.
    Forcing myself to
ignore the stinging in my legs and palms, I tried to run, but I couldn’t move
as quickly. With every step, pain radiated from my ankle as I hobbled toward
the house. I used the back of my hand to wipe the sweat away from my forehead.
The air was thick with haze and smoke; I held my shirt to my nose and mouth,
desperate to find a pocket of fresh air.
    Flames licked the
walls, devouring the house and all our possessions. From within came the
crackle and hiss of items as they caved under the extreme temperature. My
throat burned, and I fought to suppress a cough. There was no point trying to
stem the flow of sweat, my skin first hot and then almost burning as I neared
the blaze. I have to find Dad , I repeated over and over to push myself
forward.
    Suddenly, I was slapped
by a wave of heat. I stopped in my tracks, unable to force myself forward. The
house and landscape blurred, and a vision of a car on fire appeared in front of
my eyes. I could feel my hand reaching out in front of me; I stretched as far
as possible but could never quite reach what I wanted. I felt small and
helpless and wanted to cry out.
    I gasped for air,
choking against the oppressive heat. Sinking into an unknown abyss, I screamed
for help, but no sound came out of my mouth. Colors swirled in front of my eyes
before darkness enveloped me.

 
    Mad for Plaid
     
    A car slammed into
the truck from behind. Dad looked over at me and shouted, “Hang on, Haley!” I
gripped the seat with both hands as he sped up, practically flying around the
curves of the two-lane mountain road.
    My body jerked
forward when the truck took another hit, this time careening off the edge of
the road into a deep ditch. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground outside
of the truck as it was engulfed in flames. I could see both of my parents
trapped in the truck, screaming for me to help them.
    Mom? How did she get
in there? I tried with everything I had to reach them, but my body was somehow
frozen, unable to do anything but watch while they both disappeared behind the
flames.
    I could feel myself
drifting in and out of consciousness. Thoughts and images streaked through my
mind, blurring what was real, what was imagined. I thought I felt hands
comforting me at some point. At another, someone gently washed my face. Later,
or was it earlier, I sensed it was dark, and I could hear several male voices,
faint but nearby.
    I tried to force myself
to snap out of it, to wake up. Whose voice is that? How close are they? Images
spun in my head and a wave of confusion washed over me, overpowering me. I was
sinking back into darkness.
     
    *  *  *
     
    I lay in bed with my
eyes closed, my eyelids heavy. I felt groggy and disoriented. My body