We scrambled and scrambled in the mud, but our movements didn't do much to propel us upward. We eventually tired ourselves out with the effort. Crevices were passing by and forming and soon one would swallow us all while. This is the end, I thought. There's no getting out of it this time. We've been lucky, but luck can't last us forever.

Just as I thought that, I saw Crystal pointing to something. "Phoenix," she said to me. "There's a patch of old pavement—from an old sidewalk or something!"

"If we can manage to get a few feet over there," I said, pausing to think how we would even manage a single foot. "Guys!" I yelled over the roar of the winds and thunder. "Try to reach the old pavement up ahead!" I doubted anyone else had noticed it, for it seemed too far for anyone to have been looking at. We were preoccupied with our struggles to stay where we were, and if Crystal hadn't pointed it out, I doubted anyone would have even noticed it.

I reached to my feet and took my shoes off. I used them to dig deep below the running water and mud—deeper than my less solid arms could've dug—to grasp on to the sturdy and drier soil—if there was any. Somehow, I managed to propel myself forward. Slowly, very slowly, I kept crawling forward at a pace slower than a snail's. What felt like hours later, I had one hand grasping the chunk of pavement. I yanked myself up and looked around for everyone else. They didn't seem to have moved much at all, except Bluejay—she had understood what I was doing and was almost to me.

I reached out my hand and she grasped onto it. I yanked her up with strain and she helped push herself onto the pavement chunk. Everyone else hasn't caught on to what we were doing. Soon enough we would all be gone, even me and Bluejay—the pavement was sliding downhill with the rain and mud. Soon we would slide into an abyss ourselves.

"Everyone!" I shouted at them. "Use your shoes! Pull yourself up!" I got some confused faces back, so I mocked what to do with my soggy pair. My hands slipped and she shoes slid down in the mud and were gone. We didn't manage any shoes other than the ones we were wearing when we had gathered supplies. There goes another comfort I had forgotten to appreciate—protection for my feet.

Slowly, they began making their way toward me and Bluejay. Mom had reached us first and we helped pull her up. Cheng followed behind, then Crystal. We were all grouped together again—but on a tiny chunk of pavement.

I scanned the area for another chunk, or something—and I saw a lot of old chunks. I saw some that had yellow paint and realized it was the median of a road. There were lots of them. I soon saw an old sign indicating a rest stop in a half mile and what cities were off of Exit 26B and I realized these were the remnants of an old highway.

I knew the only way we might survive was if we tried to leap across to different pavement chunks. It sounded crazy and seemed crazy, but there was no other option. If we stayed in the same area, we would surely die. The rainclouds seemed to be moving in the direction down the hill, and maybe we could slowly get out of the storm, and maybe...our luck hasn't run out.

I looked up to where the peak met the sky and saw a lighter color in the clouds. We can do this, I thought. We've made it so far, we can't die now!

I tried to estimate which pieces were closest and told everyone to jump. We jumped and leapt from chunk to piece to remnant of a world that was likely to never exist again. Eventually, the rain slowed down and we were all grateful we were still alive. We had a moment of pleasure before we sat down on a bit of pavement to let the water flow downhill before we tried to walk on the ground again and looked at the hover board.

"Do you think it'll work again?" Crystal asked.

"I'm not sure, honey," Mom said. Maybe if we let it dry, this one might be one with the protective coating, but I'm not too sure on that. It wasn't starting up earlier.

I wanted to swear, I wanted to shout, I wanted to cry. That thing had protected us for this entire expedition and I doubted we'd survive long without it. We might as well have fallen during the storm—we're dead without the hover board. I put my face in my hands and wondered what we're going to do to save ourselves now.

I was wrong. Our luck has run out.

--------------------------------------------

We began walking soon enough. Blue jay and I, as usual, found ourselves walking faster than everyone else.

"Hey, Phoenix," she said, reaching into her bag. "I've got something for you." She pulled out a pair of leather boots that had a few scratches. "They used to be mine, but I think they'll fit you. They still fit me, actually, and we're about the same size."

I took them from their hands and looked at them in awe. "They're really nice," I said. I looked over at Bluejay. "Thanks," I said. "That'll be a lot better." I immediately put them on and my feet felt a lot better. I wouldn't be stepping on rocks anymore.

"No problem," she said. "They definitely helped me a while back, I can only wish they'll help you."

"They already are," I responded. "I was feeling all the rocks in my feet without my shoes."

"Glad they could help." She smiled and we walked on in silence.

I began to consider what me and Bluejay went through. She and I both lost two people we loved. She lost hers much faster and way younger and she was taken from all she knew to live being beaten and mistreated. I lived with great parents my entire life without losing one—before this—and slowly lost two people, the first having turned into a different person before death and the second having left all they knew to be murdered in the unknown. It was extremely uncommon for both of us to have us lose two people we love so early on our lives.

Then I began to think about who we are today. I think about Jessica and Peter every day and I have no doubts that she thinks about her parents every day too. We both wanted to do good, for them. But she was definitely going to take it to a higher level than me one of these days. I couldn't really blame her—all the people in her life after that horrid day had done just that. Then I just began to hope we would all make it out alive and Bluejay wouldn't have to make a sacrifice she's wanted to make. Maybe she could just save someone—but without a sacrifice—and we could all make it out of this alive.

Wishful thinking, huh? I wasn't even stupid enough then to believe then in what I was saying.

Bluejay spoke and finally broke our silence. "My mother...she may have seemed corny or over dramatic or ridiculous to anyone who wasn't there, but you must understand that she was delirious form the gunshot wound and the blood she was losing—yet had seemed to see clearer than ever—and she was struck with fear. She felt rushed to remind me I must always do good and pass on the love. She was too busy hoping and desiring I had understood. And in her situation she just simply didn't realize how much she was repeating herself.

"But it sent her message clearer and now I know I have to carry on with something great. I have to be loyal to you all—you all took me under your wing even though I held a gun to your head. Even though I threatened you all. For everyone here I am grateful." Bluejay paused. "I just wanted someone to hear that. All of that is on my mind lately."

"I get what you're saying," I responded. "And I know one day you will do something great, even if it's not directly associated with you practically killing yourself to save one of us. I know it. And please try to not do that—there are other ways and I would already consider you a really close friend. All our big conversations and little ones have taught me a lot, and I thank you for that."

"No problem. Thank you. I haven't felt this good since I was seven, even though the world is practically ending at this moment," Bluejay said.

I smiled. "Let's call it even."

We walked up the mountain talking and laughing until the sun set and we had to regroup for our slumber. This was, perhaps, the greatest day I've had since the whole thing began. And to think I would never have met Bluejay or Cheng if it never happened—it's unthinkable. I'm not sure I would go back if it meant never knowing who they were.

We laid on the ground for we couldn't get the hover board to work. "Goodnight, Phoenix," Bluejay said.

"Goodnight," I replied and fell into the first sleep I've had without nightmares since the beginning of the end.