Part 20 (1/2)

He heard someones voice, but he didnt look back.

”Hey-” the voice said. ”Are you okay?”

Another rumble. This time it was louder. Zavions ears began to ring.

”Mama-” he said.

A long, deep cracking sound. Like something being split open. Zavion could barely hear now. There was a flash of lightning. A boys face-the boy with the bird-shone for a second and Zavion could see his mouth move, but he couldnt hear what he was saying. Zavion felt a hand on his shoulder.

Another cracking sound. Again, something being split open. Was it him? Was he being split open wide? Zavion scrambled up a pile of something by the side of the market. Pieces of a wall. He climbed as high as he could. A musty, windy water smell filled his nose. A levee was crumbling. The wind and the water flooded over him. There was a squealing in his ears. The violin sound. It was back. Mama- He climbed Grandmother Mountain higher. Zavion put his hands over his ears. He lost his balance. He was falling- -falling from his attic window, falling onto the door, falling off the door into the rus.h.i.+ng, rising water- ”Hey-” A voice cut through the squealing.

Hands grabbed him. Another crack of thunder. In the lightning flash, Zavion saw his own hands gripping the back of someones s.h.i.+rt. The windy water smell filled Zavions nose again, and the flooding sensation rose inside his body.

”Hey-” The voice again. ”Stay with me here, okay?”

Who was talking to him?

”This isnt a hurricane,” the voice said. ”You are safe.” The person pressed his hand into Zavions shoulder. ”You are safe,” he repeated.

”Whats happening to him?” Zavion heard another voice ask.

”h.e.l.lo,” said a third voice. ”You are safe. You are safe. You are safe.” Another crack of thunder. The long, high squeal of the violin. Too close, too close. A bird screeched. And then the levee crumbled to the ground.

”No, I am not! I am not safe!” Zavion tried to stand up, but a hand kept him still.

”You are,” the voice said.

”NO! NO ONE IS SAFE! WHERE IS PAPA? WHERE IS MAMA? WHERE IS SHE?”

”Come back here-”

”DONT YOU SMELL IT?”

”Youre okay, son-”

”THE WIND! THE WATER!” He couldnt stop yelling. ”WHAT IF I FALL?” Words poured out of him.

”No!” The voice was yelling now too. The person gripped Zavions arms. ”No, you wont fall!” The person turned his head. ”Hold on to his other shoulder,” he said. The other person knelt down next to Zavion. ”Put pressure on him. Let him know youre here.”

”WHAT IF I CANT BREATHE?”

”You wont stop breathing,” said the first voice.

”WHAT IF I DIE?”

”You wont die,” said the voice again.

”Jeezum Crow. Hes as stiff as a board,” came a different, quiet voice next to Zavion.

And like Luna in the market- -like Mama- the voice said, ”Youre okay. Youre okay.”

chapter 44.

HENRY.

Stiff as a board.

Just the way Henry had felt that day he biked up and down, up and down, up and down the driveway.

Stiff as a board and frozen.

Frozen with fear.

chapter 45.

ZAVION.

Another round of thunder and lightning, quieter than before. In the flash of light, Zavion saw tears in the eyes of the person sitting next to him. A man. The man from the market.

”You are safe,” he said quietly. He looked Zavion straight in the eyes.

”No, Im not,” Zavion said quietly too. ”Not here.”

chapter 46.

HENRY.