Felix walked with Kip and Nova; they were five hundred feet away from the mountains. Fluffy clouds floated in the blue sky.
Nova said, "I need to take a break."
Nova took out her water bottle from her backpack.
Felix said, "I've applied for a job position at the local grocery store. Maybe we can find an apartment that we can rent together."
Nova smiled. "That sounds like a good idea."
A fighter jet flew over the mountain top. Dropped a missile on top of a boulder. A red beam of light sliced into the boulder, causing an avalanche of rocks to roar down from the mountainside. Boom! The explosion caused a ringing sound in Felix's ears. A rock crashed into a car driving on the dirt road, causing it to roll down the hill and smash into a tree. Another rock smashed onto the roof of a van, causing it to burst into flames. Black smoke filled the air. Felix raced towards the mountain.
Kip yelled at Felix, "Where are you going?"
Felix looked back at Kip, "I'm going to help people who're trapped in their car."
Kip and Nova chased after Felix. Floating debris penetrated Felix's eyes. With the sleeve of his red jacket, he rubbed at his eyes. Beads of sweat trail down his forehead from the scorching fire nearby.
Felix ran to the black sports car with the rock on its hood. The driver was dead, from not wearing a seat belt. His body had been ejected from the car. A large rock crushed onto his head. The smell of rotting flesh caused Felix to gag.
In the passenger seat, the man's bloodied face pressed into the airbag. Felix yanked the car's passenger door and placed his hand on the man's chest, feeling his heartbeat.
"Wake up," Felix urged.
His bruised eyes fluttered open. "Where... am I?"
"You've been in a car accident," Felix said. "Stay with me."
The man's chest rose in shallow, ragged breaths.
Felix turned. "Nova—water!"
She hurried over and tilted her bottle, letting a stream trickle into the man's mouth. Felix unbuckled the seatbelt, hooked an arm under the man's shoulders, and lifted. Kip appeared on the other side, taking the weight.
"You saved my life," the man rasped, tears cutting tracks through the blood and dirt on his face.
Felix managed a tight smile. "Let's get you to safety first."
Kip and Felix stumbled their way down the rocky path, trying to help themselves and the man upright. Nova followed behind them. They eased him onto the grass, where he sat cross-legged, head cradled in one hand against the throbbing pain.
Felix knelt beside him. The wail of sirens grew louder—an ambulance had arrived.
The man looked up. "What's your name?"
"Felix Venner."
A paramedic approached. "Sir, you need to come with us to the hospital."
They lifted the man onto a stretcher and loaded him into the back. As the ambulance pulled away, warmth spread across Felix's cheeks. Saving a life—it felt better than anything he'd ever done.