Chapter 19: The Asphalt
Chapter 19: The Asphalt
The afternoon sun was merciless, baking the sidewalk into a blistering skillet. Inside the heavy yellow fur, David was rapidly losing his battle against his own body.
His vision swam, the edges of the tiny mesh screen bleeding into black spots. His breathing was dangerously shallow, rattling in his parched throat. He forced his heavy, rubber-soled foot forward, trying to keep pace with Chloe, who was walking three steps ahead.
Suddenly, David’s knee buckled.
He crashed down hard onto the blazing asphalt. The massive plastic helmet slammed against the concrete with a hollow, terrifying thud.
Chloe spun around. She froze. Her wide, terrified eyes locked onto the giant yellow bear crumpled on the sidewalk. For a second, the instinct to run violently warred with her confusion.
But the bear didn't move. It just lay there, its massive chest rising and falling in weak, erratic hitches.
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Slowly, the paralyzing fear in Chloe's eyes fractured, replaced by a tiny, hesitant flicker of concern. She took a fragile step backward. Then another. She knelt on the burning concrete beside the motionless, cartoonish head. With a trembling finger, she gently poked the soft, synthetic fur of the bear's limp arm.
Inside the suffocating darkness of the mask, David fought back a wave of nausea, gritting his teeth to stay conscious. He couldn't faint. If emergency responders came and stripped the suit off right in front of her, the brutal reality would shatter her all over again. He dug his raw, blistered fingers into the asphalt, violently forcing his failing body back to its feet, just so his daughter wouldn't have to be afraid.
