Road to Hell Read Online Free Page A

was skeptical at that pronouncement. “What are you talking about? I’m not a champion. I’m just a normal sixteen year old kid. I don’t have the skills to save the world from some unknown menace.”
    She turned towards me and I shivered at her silent contemplation. “You might not possess the skills yet, but that will soon change. Like all sentient beings, you have been given free will. I cannot force you to do as I ask and your choices will be your own.” She gestured at the door again and I reluctantly turned to face it. “See what lies ahead for your planet if you make the wrong choices and fail to become the warrior that I need you to be.” The moment she finished speaking, she disappeared.
    Plain and without decoration, the door swung open to reveal a scene from a nightmare. I saw a city in ruins with blasted buildings and glass covering the sidewalks. Cars had been abandoned on the streets. They had become almost unrecognizable lumps of twisted metal and melted rubber.
    Buildings and vehicles weren’t the only casualties. Burned skeletons lay everywhere. People had been torched while running from whatever had caused the devastation. I’d barely begun to comprehend what I was seeing when the scene changed. Instead of just one ruined city, I now saw dozens of them. Each one depicted the same scenes of death and destruction. City after city appeared, overlapping each other in a never ending sequence. All were devoid of life.
    My dizziness returned and I closed my eyes. A gust of wind pushed me forward and I was suddenly tumbling towards the rocks. I screamed in terror, knowing that I was about to die and that no miraculous escape was going to be possible this time.

₪₪₪
     

Chapter Four
     
     
    Waking with a gasp, I looked around wildly and slumped in relief when I saw I was still seated on the bus. The dream had seemed so real that I could almost believe that I really had just met an entity that called herself Fate.
    Struggling to straighten up from my slouch, I felt heavy, as if invisible chains were wrapped around me. The sensation slowly faded until I was able to push myself up straight.
    I checked my watch and saw that it was nearly midnight. We’d been on the road for about ten hours and I had no idea where we were. I peered through the window, but it had become so dirty during our trip that it was hard to make out much of my surroundings. We drove through what looked like a large city that was still bustling despite the late hour. Slumping against the window, I nodded off again and woke a few minutes later when the bus pulled over.
    “This is the last stop,” the bus driver called out to the few passengers who remained. He looked as weary as I felt as he opened the doors. I waited for the others to disembark before following them.
    A small, grimy building welcomed me when I stepped off the bus. A sign above the door stated that I had reached the Canal Street bus stop. Information about several bus lines and destinations were beneath it. Some of the words were in what looked like Chinese.
    Shuffling to form a line so they could retrieve their luggage, the other passengers ignored me completely as I stood there indecisively. A cop car motored towards us and slowed down when they drew close. Both officers were peering out through their windows as if they were searching for someone. Their faces flickered, alerting me that they were just like Bob. I automatically turned my back before they could see my face.
    My heart almost stopped when their lights came on. The siren sounded and blue and red lights flashed hypnotically. To my relief, the cruiser surged forward. It turned the corner and was soon out of sight. A crime had been committed elsewhere in the city, drawing them away and giving me a reprieve from captivity.
    Hitching my backpack onto my shoulder, I pulled my hood up to hide my distinctive hair and began to walk. Reaching the intersection where the cop car had disappeared, I waited for the