Chapter 1: Abnormal Realization
On an early September morning, in Thunderlane New York. Their home sat atop one of the tallest buildings in the city with a view you had only seen in movies. Her uncle owned the whole floor and her family had been renting there for about 3 years now. Her and her brother were the only two home, as their parents were out on business—again. As day broke, Erin Skye Will laid there peacefully. Her brown skin glistened as it bathed in the sunlight that seeped through her opened blinds. Her head sunken into her pillow. Whilst her soft fluffy black hair hid most of her face along with completely covering her pillow behind it. She slept in the stained, white t-shirt she’d been wearing all weekend. Her dropped jaw left her mouth open exposing her nearly perfect, stunningly white teeth as she snores quietly.
The sound of her alarm ringing quickly woke her, she shot straight up from her pillow before her eyes could even open. She silenced her alarm and flips her wild out of her face. She then takes a deep inhale to commence her new day. She gets out of bed and walks down the hall that separates her & her brothers room. Erin, in a rude fashion, swings open his door. He, Kaleb Will, laid there asleep similar to his sister. Except he slept with company, on top of his back was his dog, Beau. Also peacefully asleep while drooling in Kaleb’s short cut hair.
Erin: “Kaleb! You gonna eat? I don’t know if I wanna order in or just cook for us.”
Half awake he turns his head towards her, opening his eyes to see the absolute mess of hair she had covering her head.
Kaleb: “Ugh we’ve ordered something every day this week. I really thought they’d be here by morning. I wanted to cook for them.” He stretches and rises out of bed walking past Erin out into the hallway and towards the kitchen.
Erin: “Oh no no no. YOU ain’t touching the stove again. Especially not after last week. Mr. ‘I thought the toaster would make a noise.’ She mocks him making her voice deeper to match his as she follows him to the kitchen.
“Bro, you almost burned the whole building down..”
Kaleb: “I promise you that the toaster used to make a singing sound okay? It gotta be broken or something. C’mon let me cook for us. I swear it’ll be cool. Besides, I binged watched all of Top Chef so you can basically call me Rachel Ray.”
Erin: “Mhm, whatever you say. 18 years old and you can’t even make toast. Go ahead and start cooking I guess. I’ll be in the living room & DON’T ask for help.” She pulls his head towards her as she kisses him on the forehead.
Kaleb: “Yeah yeah don’t try and play me like I can’t throw down in the kitchen just like my big sis Erin.”
He walks behind the counter and starts raiding the fridge for supplies.
Erin: “Speaking of being big sis that means I’m in charge and if mom and dad are supposed to be coming back tonight then you should clean.”
Kaleb: “Girl are you outta your mind? Cleaning and cooking!? You know I was only offering to cook to be nice, right?”
Erin: “If mom and dad are coming then I’ll cook dinner and you just clean..fair?''
Kakeb: “Deal.”
She sits on the couch and turns on the tv. Beau jumps up on the couch and rests his head on her lap.
Kaleb: “Why do you keep saying ‘if?’
As Kaleb’s preparing to cook breakfast he stops, a puzzling look crosses his face and he looks up at her.
Erin: “Kaleb, man you know them. Always one more business trip, one more assignment, one more meeting, or one more call.” She rolls her eyes at even the mention of her parents, the topic is sure to interrupt her peace. “All I know is there’s always one more with them. So if they don’t pull through then I’m going back to bed.”
Kaleb: “E, you’ve been in bed all week.. You know they’ve actually gotten better since you left for school. They changed, you just haven’t been back long enough to notice. Trust me, they’ll be here.”
Erin: “Listen Kal. I’ve known them a bit longer than you. Just because mommy and daddy can buy your forgiveness with a car, doesn’t make up for all the missed birthdays lil bro.”
Kaleb: “What are you even talking about right now?”
Erin: “THEM Kaleb! Them! The two parents who are never around enough to raise their kids. I’m just saying don’t get your hopes up. If they don’t show I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Kaleb: “Stop talking about them like that. They’ve learned to put work aside while you are gone putting your work before our family!”
She’s quick to reply, as if her rebuttals to Kaleb’s mistake in his phrasing was nearly complete instinct.
Erin: “I was at school Kaleb, that’s hardly the same. They weren’t even close to coming home at all this break. I flew out here again, for no damn reason.”
Kaleb is visibly hurt and draws himself back in response to her words
Kaleb: “Wow. All for no reason, huh? I see how it is. I’m sure they'd love to hear all about how you feel when they get here.”
Erin: “You know what I meant Kaleb, c’mon don’t be like that!”
She chuckles believing he’ll come around. She wanted to change the topic all together. She has no faith left in her parents after years of constant broken promises and their constant reminder of that infuriated her. Knowing she’d get too emotional, she didn’t want to speak on the subject any more.
He doesn’t respond to her chuckle. Dropping his head in silence, he stares down as he continues to prepare
breakfast. He was upset but also knew there was no point in arguing with her. She wouldn’t give in. She was born with the stubborn determination of their mother, & Kaleb's got not only dad’s temper, but pride. The two ignored each other the rest of the day. That being their last conversation for the duration of the morning.
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They are on opposite sides of the apartment. As the sun sets each of them passes the time with separate hobbies and activities. While each waiting for the other to break their silence, night fell and the two were dressed in formal attire. Kaleb wore a white buttoned down, long sleeve shirt beneath a light brown sweater, accompanied by various pieces of gold jewelry, black jeans and dress shoes. He set the table, organizing the meals on the table in a neat and orderly fashion.
Entering the dining room with a vase of flowers, Erin has her once wild hair gelled back wearing a large puffy ponytail. She wore black heels and a tight blue dress. It was fitted to her body and had thin soft straps that rested in her strong shoulders. The blue silk on the dress was eye-catching, rather mesmerizing when resting in the light of the moon shining through the large apartment windows. Each one displaying a beautiful portion of the view of the city. She sat the vase down on the table and slowly walked over to her seat at the table. She sits. Kaleb rushes to the table with the last dish for the night and is restless in his seat across from Erin. You could tell something was bothering him.
Erin: Upset, she leaned back in her seat pouring herself a glass of their mother’s wine.
“Kaleb…they aren’t coming bro. I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you.”
Kaleb: “Damnit Erin, can you just give it a minute please!” He says aggressively. He turns away from her again, staring at the front door. “That’s all you do is put people down. Maybe that’s why they aren’t here yet.”
Erin: “Oh so it’s my fault they aren’t here? You sound exactly like them. Blaming me for everything.”
She sips her wine and chuckles, completely far from taking this situation seriously. As she couldn’t believe the things her brother was saying.
“I mean, I’m not surprised, just not very unique of you Kaleb.” She smiles in sarcasm as she takes another sip.
Kaleb: “Oh will you save it please! That’s all you do is sit there and act like everybody against you! Like c’mon now! How long are you gonna keep it up huh!? You push people away and blame them for it. It’s getting pretty fucking old E.”
Erin: “It’s getting old?! Y’all teaming up against me all the time is getting old! No, you taking mom and dad’s side over mine even when they’re wrong is the issue. That! That gets old! Are you seriously going to sit here and tell me that they aren’t here because of me?”
Kaleb: “Honestly I could, you’ve been acting like you hated them since your senior year of highschool. And even when you left for TLU, no calls, no text, no letters. It’s like you wanted them to leave you. You wanted nothing to do with them. You’re selfish, pushing them away when you’re long gone and I’m still here. Now I have to make up for YOUR lost connection.”
Erin: “Kaleb relax before you say something you regret. Them not being around isn’t my fault. Sorry that I spent my youth trying to protect you from the fact that mommy and daddy would rather shower us in money, instead of actually spending time with us!”
She stands up and walks away from the table in a swift and strong movement. Causing Kaleb to stand up. With his fist resting on the tables, he punched it. Suddenly their fantastic view of the beautiful city became obscured.
The dark grey clouds began to crawl through the night sky blocking out the moon and the stars. Replacing the scattered sky light with darkness and the rumble of warming thunder.
Kaleb: “I take their side because unlike you they were there for me! You saw they were supporting me and you didn’t like that so you cut them off and drove them away. I’m sorry but that sob story, ‘victim’ shit is just not about to work on me right now.” He throws the dining room chair out of his way as he storms towards the door grabbing his coat off the stand near the door.
Erin: “HEY! You watch your mouth talking to me like that! You don’t even know what the hell you’re sayin! Kaleb, where do you think you’re going?!”
She walks as fast as she can across the room to try and stop him.
Kaleb: “You know what I just realized E? The most abnormal thing about the whole situation. I actually cared about how you felt about them. No matter how rude or mean it was— I cared and I listened every time. But it seems you just can’t do the same for me.”
He throws his coat around his back, putting it on as he leaves. Slamming the door in Erin’s face before she could even respond.
Erin was pissed. Left speechless by her little brother. How could he say those things to her? He meant every single word that came out of his mouth and left. Just like they did. Teary eyed, she tries to put it aside. She was much more worried about her brother in the storm than the petty disagreement. She went to the window, staring down towards the streets to see if she could see Kaleb leaving the building. The rain soon came after the first lightning strike. The droplets hitting the windows sounded like pebbles. Another lighting strike hits but this time everything goes dark, all the lights in the buildings and on the streets. Gone.
Only the car's lights and horns could be seen & heard in this thick storm.
She spots Kaleb leaving the buildings and marching down the street. ‘He’s fine’ she thought. She stands there turning away from the window trying to ignore him. But she couldn’t. Her eyes watered and her face showed her dominant exterior fall, her spirit flinched. Only for a moment. With a deep breath she wipes the small tears from beneath her eyelids and exhales deeply. Everything they yelled at each other played back over and over in her head.
Erin: “Shit. Dammit Kaleb!” She runs back to her room kicking off her shoes and unzipping her dress. Moving as fast as she could she removed the dress, throwing on the first pair of idle jeans she saw, and the morning shirt she had been wearing to sleep every night along with a white raincoat. She grabbed her phone off the kitchen table and ran out of the front door.
Running out of the building Erin was instantly bombarded and met with a barrage of winds throwing her off balance. The rain was thick and flooded the streets making it impossible for her to see in front of her. Somehow she still manages to run down the same street Kaleb did. The cars in the roads were trapped, with no traffic lights directing them and chaos soon formed. The sounds of beeping car horns were drowned out by the continuous lightning strikes and booming thunder. It shook the city’s streets and the lightning lit up the sky in a bright white light for a mere moment. Illuminating the mayhem in the streets, allowing Erin to see Kaleb walking towards the corner. She sprints down the sidewalk grabbing his arm and collar pulling him back away from the street as a car swerved off the roads and up onto the curb where he stood. The two were on the wet ground, Erin holding Kaleb in her arms. In complete shock the two stood up and Erin pulled Kaleb towards her by her arm screaming at him.
Erin: “Are you fucking crazy?! You could’ve died! C’mon we’re going home! Now!”
Kaleb: “Alright! Okay!” The two held each other close while they shield their faces from the rain and jog down the sidewalk.
Just then, lightning strikes down onto the street denting the hood of a car completely electrifying it. White sparks shoot and roll off of the vehicle as stray fragments of the bolt spread to nearby vehicles and light poles. Blinding everyone unfortunate enough to be looking in that direction of the flash of white light. The sound was deafening and stopped Erin and Kaleb in their tracks. They turn the opposite direction and run as fast as possible as more and more bolts of lightning spears down onto the streets. Getting louder and louder, it was odd. Almost like the storm was following the two of them.
Kaleb: “What is going on right now!? Where are we goin?!” In complete distress and fear he shouts in his sister’s ear as they race around the corner. The lighting followed, falling from the sky with extreme accuracy, obliterating and charring everything they came in contact with!
Erin: “I don’t know! My car is parked right over here! We can-.” She’s interrupted by a bolt of lighting splashing against the sidewalk right before them! Sending a shockwave from the sound alone, strong enough to crack the pavement throwing the siblings onto their backs.
The two of them crawl on the wet concrete over to Erin’s car where they slid underneath it for protection. They held each other tightly trying to stay as still as possible as a ring of lighting strikes formed around them. It was like a cage of bright white light and crashing thunder, exclusively for them. The two release a deafening scream in fear preparing for their lives to end, just waiting for everything to go black. There’s silence. There was nothing. Suddenly Erin wakes up. She’s distraught and jumps up. She’s wet and covered in sand, and what was a nicely gelled ponytail was now a mane of curls. She’d been unconscious, for who knows how long. She takes a moment to gather herself before trying to stand. Looking around she sees nothing but large brownish red sand dunes. Red sand beneath her and stretching in all directions as far as the eye could see. The heat was unbearable and her clothes and here were not completely dry. She remembers Kaled. She looks around what seemed to be a desert only to see her brother lying beside her unconscious. Across from him about 20 feet away, Erin’s car, beaten and wrecked, laying on its side wedged in the sand.
Erin: “What the hell is this? Where the hell are we? Kaleb. Kaleb!” She grabs him, rocking him violently. He wakes up gasping for air and darting his head around, taken by surprise of their location. He stands up not even taking a moment for his mind and body to function as one.
Kaleb: “W-what is happening, where are we!? How did we get here! E how— where are we!?” His sister stands up next to him gripping his shoulders and staring him in his eyes.
Erin: “Kaleb breath okay? Just relax. I’m sure we can figure this out.”
Kaleb: Screaming, “FIGURE IT OUT? WERE IN THR MIDDLE OF A FUCKING DESERT. THE ONLY THING WE SHOULD BE FIGURING OUT IS HOW TO GET THE HELL BACK HO—”
Erin: She cuts him off mid scream, “KALEB CALM DOWN.”
He makes an attempt to slow his breathing. He takes deep breaths slowing his heart beat.
Eventually he calms.
Kaleb: “Okay, okay. I’m calm—I’m calm. E where are we?”
Erin opens her mouth to answer the question but stops. She is silent as she stares off into the distance to see two moons in the sky. Her reality was shattered and she was genuinely confused. More shocked than she had ever been in her entire life. Kaleb notices her staring past him and turns around seeing the same thing. His mouth slowly falls open in gape from disbelief.
Erin: “Kaleb.” She pauses. “I don’t know. Where. We. Are.” She looks off into the sky and mouths the words “I don’t know” again, silently to herself. They stand alone, in an empty desert of dirt and sand with the occasional boulder or deep red hoodoo to break up the open plains of crimson ash.