The road before him was blocked by another wall. Compared to the one at the main entrance, this was more of a checkpoint than a fortification. A line of concrete traffic dividers blocked the road, leaving only one opening in the center. Stretching out to either side of the road, a tall privacy fence made of decorative stone and textured lumber blocked access to the interior of the community. Unfortunately, motion lights illuminated the ground in front of the fence, making it impossible to climb over without being seen. It seemed the super wealthy didn't want to mingle with the not-as-wealthy, the peasants, in their little commune.

More guards stood at even intervals behind the cement barriers, attentively scanning the road. With no other options, Noah settled in behind a tree and waited for the men to move.

Five minutes passed, then ten, then thirty.

"Seems they're actually worth a damn. Getting rough now will just get you maimed, and you won't learn anything if I heal you."

Not wanting to get into a bloody slog he was bound to lose, Noah doubled back around the corner of the road behind him. Near one of the streetlights was a green electrical transformer box. He hoped their discipline wasn't so strict they would stay put after this, otherwise this would turn into a bloody affair. Noah slipped off the glove on his left hand and pressed his palm against the green metal. His hand began to glow like an iron in a furnace. The metal warped under his touch until it began to fall in molten globs. Noah pressed his hand against the electrical work within, channeling more of Eris's wrathful fire into his hand. The skin of his hand began to tingle, and a burning sensation crawled up his forearm inch by inch.

While pain inflicted externally had no impact on him, this unique burning was another matter. His hand screamed to be pulled back, begged for the relief of cold water, but Noah pressed on. The hand was fine, he thought to himself. This was all mental. Flesh was not bubbling and the bones were not baking. This was just part of Eris's payment, a reminder of what awaited him when she collected his tab.

Finally, the transformer caught fire, smoldering and belching smoke. Noah put his glove back on and ran back to his hiding place before the flames were noticed. The fire went further out of control than Noah anticipated, flames searing the branches that drooped high above the transformer.

Eris chuckled as they watched the men at the gate. The smell of smoke reached them just as the breaker started popping, several components inside exploding and sending arcs of electricity into the air. Shock spread through their ranks and the men at the barricades shouted for buckets of water and extinguishers.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Hopefully they use the extinguishers first."

Noah did not stay to watch them fight an electrical fire with water.

As soon as the last man ran off to find something to fight the flames with, he vaulted over the concrete line. The backyards of the mansions were not fenced apart. Gaudy decks and inground pools stretched as far as the eye could see. The richest of the retirees and businessmen that probably lived in this enclave didn't seem to mind rubbing shoulders with their fellow elites.

It infuriated him how cushy a life the woman at the end of this red path was living while his family rotted in the ground.

The three story mansion he arrived at was at the far rear of the enclave, removed from the chaos at the entrance. The night was peaceful and quiet here. Like his rage, the red path was not halted by walls or obstacles. It plunged through the wall of the mansion, leaving Noah to find his own way inside. Noah strode to the front door, unsurprised to find it locked. Next, he tried the windows on the first floor, but they too were locked tight. He wiped sweat from his brow, turning his head up in frustration that was only made worse by the sweltering heat. Then it dawned on him that the night was probably broiling for these rich snobs, too. These homes had to have AC units this deep in Florida, but there were no sounds of any units running.

He looked at the windows higher up. On the third story, above the massive garage, one of the windows was open in a vain attempt to draw in some airflow to alleviate the heat. With a single jump, Noah got onto the roof of the garage. The window was higher up still, but stretching he could just touch the windowsill with his fingers. As soon as he got a grip on the windowsill, the reality of what he was about to do struck him as it always did at these moments. His heart started pounding, so hard he felt it in his temples, and he started to shake as adrenaline dumped into his bloodstream.

"Cast away your fear. This person cannot hurt you anymore than they already have. Remember what she did. Remember that I am with you."

At her words, his nerves calmed and his mind cleared. Without Eris, Noah never would have crawled out of the forest. He would have been content to die between his family's graves. But Eris, she was his strength, his companion, his purpose for living.

Noah hopped, catching the windowsill with his fingers, and slowly pulled himself inside. Silently, he crouched on the ground. He was in a bedroom. The room was bathed in soft orange light by the single fixture in the ceiling, giving the space a cozy feel while still dim enough to sleep under. The hardwood floor, a deep mahogany ocean, shimmered with a fresh coat of wax and antique furniture stood against the walls. In the center of the room on a fine burgundy rug was a large bed, on which slept two sweaty people in their underwear, one with a book in their hand, blissfully unaware of the fire outside or the reaper in their home.