Iris

As I sped down the highway, I tried to remain calm. My heartbeat felt like it was progressively speeding up, and the further I got, the more it felt like it would find it's way out of my body, and on the steering wheel in front of me. I felt nauseous, and no matter what I tried to think of, it just kept finding ways to seep into my brain.

The burnt body kept popping into my head, the constant screaming, the sensation of burnt flesh on the sheet I was putting out the fire with. It was sickening. And it was constantly flooding my memories, constantly making the sensation of bile rising in my throat stronger and stronger by the second.

Until I couldn't take it anymore.

Slamming on the brake, I brought the car to a quick stop, and hopped out, staggering out of the car, and onto the side of the road, in front of a group of bushes. A wave of coldness spread over my body, and my head start to feel as though it was floating away from my body. I clutched the grass in the floor in front of me, and felt as Jade's hand touched my shoulder. 

"Step away" I tried to say, feeling myself get sicker by the second. However, I couldn't stop myself from what happened. And I couldn't stop her from getting slightly in the crossfire.

I felt a wet liquid quickly fill my mouth, and a wet splatter as I opened it, the liquid falling on my hands, and from what I could see through the fuzziness in my eyes, onto Jade's shoes. Whatever I had eaten before we left the house was now in front of me on the ground, in a disgusting concoction of liquids.

When my head cleared up, I stood, and looked over at Jade, who had turned away, breathing heavily. 

"I'm done, Jade," I said, touching her shoulder with hands that had just been wiped.

"No, it's not you," she turned towards me, then pointed down the street at a church not too far away, But not too far that one couldn't see the blown out windows and scorch marks on the outside. I got back into the car to the sound of Sadie's voice asking if I was okay, and I nodded in response, starting the engine again and driving down the street.

Stopping outside of the church, I saw Jade hopping out, Sadie close behind her, and me hopping out, looking at them. I watched as Jade talked to a pastor, and Sadie ran up to a girl that was my age and hugged her, then ran up to my car, holding her hand. 

"So this must be the famous Iris Bradley that Sadie keeps telling me about," The girl said with her hand outstretched, and I smiled, looking don at Sadie. At least she found someone she knew that was still alive and wasn't burnt or dead. "My name is Paisley. Paisley Miller."

I grabbed her hand and shook it, then looked behind her at the church, and what appeared to be dead bodies outside, and the priest leaving Jade and returning to the bodies to pray over them.

"I see you had the same problem," I sighed, and watched as Paisley traced my eyes over to the bodies, then nodded, folding her lips. she crossed her arms and leaned back on the car, looking at the bodies.

"A majority of the people that were here went up in flames during the storm last night." She hung her head down, and started tapping her fingers against her arms, taking a deep breath. "My mother, father and one of my sisters went up too. It's just my older sister and me now."

I nodded, the looked at Sadie, who had ran back to her sister. After a few seconds, I turned and got into the car, and shouted for Jade and Sadie, telling them to come to the car.

"You can stay here, you know."

I looked at Paisley, who as now leaning on the car window, then to the priest, who was still standing over the bodies, praying.

Nothing felt off with Paisley. There was a sense of helpfulness coming off her, and I could tell she actually wanted to assist us, especially because of her closeness with Jade and her sister. However, The priest was the problem. Something felt peculiar about him. Maybe it as his unnerving stillness while standing over a set of dead bodies. Maybe it was just the fact that the bodies seemed to have no effect on him, he just stood there, hands clasped, over corpses that had just burst into flames. Maybe it was just me, but if a set of bodies had just burst into flames in the house of the lord, I would be scared shitless.

I then slowly watched as the pastor walked past me, and over to the cliff overlooking the ocean, and watched as he walked down the stairs that would usually lead to the beach, however, it was unrecognizable, because the wood from the handrails was now in splinters, And as he disappeared down the hill, I cautiouly followed him across the street, blocking out Jade and Sadie's calls.

That's when I saw a giant body in the water, dead, and floating.