The feeling of luck barely registered as Jack saw that the gate was unblocked, he pushed it open with the butt of the shotgun and jogged toward the center of the intersection.
With every step he jostled his broken arm, shooting sharp pain ran through it.
It is nothing compared to that backlash though, he thought.
The girls and Bryan came running as they saw him from around their corner.
Shouts of concern from Sara and Bryan flowed forth, followed by numerous questions by all of them flooded the air.
Wincing in pain, Jack shook them all off, “There will be time for all that later, we really need to get as far away from here as we can tonight.”
Everyone gave a silent nod of their head in agreement, it was plain to them all that it had not gone as planned.
They also noticed Jack’s eyes clearer. His entire pupils were gold again, but the glow was dimmer, much dimmer.
Bryan explained how he and Rachel had come up with a plan of where to go while Sara kept an eye out for Jack as he fought his breath. Explination over, they quickly they were on their way.
Sara insisted on making a sling once they were out of sight of the intersection. Rachel gladly helped make with a spare shirt.
Sticking to the road, they had decided to make it down to the edge of suburbia. They had Jack double check the plan with his new ability, and he assured them all that as long as they kept up the pace they should be fine for the night.
After an afternoon of lazing about trying to figure out what to do, they were all happy to be moving even by the light of cheap scavenged flash lights.
Jack tried not to let his arm slow him but as the adrenalin faded the pain became more and more.
Seeing the pain on Jacks face as they walked along Sara had an idea, “Why don’t we stop at the next house we see?”
Jack vehemently shook his head in disagreement, “No way, we have to get as far away as we can. I’ll tell you why when we get there, but we have to keep moving no matter what.”
Sara raised her eyebrow in interest but could tell that Jack wouldn’t budge. It was so weird to her that she barely knew Jack but could read him like a book. Her thoughts wandered as she focused on the road.
After a while, everyone had fallen into a quiet trudge. Jack knew they all had plenty of questions, especially about why they needed to move so far. But Jack couldn’t answer them now if he tried. The nights events kept swirling through his head no matter how much he tried to push them away.
As if to answer Jack call for a distraction from himself, the earth started shaking again as they walked. Though not as violent as before, it still added a degree of difficulty to the march, truthfully he had not even noticed when it stopped.
Looking up as he walked Jack saw that the meteor was now almost on the far horizon.
How long was I in there?
Again he found himself pulled back to the memories of the night.
After what felt like hours, Bryan brought everyone to a halt. “We’re getting close,” he stated, “Looking at the map and judging by all the houses we have been passing, we’re about four miles from where it goes from back woods houses with two lane roads like this, to the grids of LA.”
“Well lets find a empty house for the night then,” Rachel suggested.
Jack felt a little apprehension at that. With his predictive ability the pictures of the last house had been near clear in his head. But they had been passing houses for a while now and hadn’t seen a single sign of life.
It was all rather creepy, knowing that just two nights ago these houses had all been full of families, working TV’s, smartphones, people just waiting until they had to go back to work the next day. Now that all seemed frivolous, it’s a new world he quietly sighed to himself.
Just up the street from where they had come to a stop, they found a house with a pile of newspapers at the door.
In checking the mail box, there wasn’t anything there that was dated before the last four days. Together they decided whoever it was had left town before the meteor had come.
The gate opened freely and they all walked to the door.
“Front door is locked,” Bryan commented, as he tried the door.
“Of course it is genius, not like they left in a panic,” Jack shot at him.
His agitation from being in constant pain definitely coming through.
“Alright, well what is your idea then smart ass?” Bryan shot back.
The girls just huffed, knowing it was just their way to banter back and forth like this by now.
Jack smiled at Bryan and motioned for him to follow. As one group, with the boys in the lead they walked around to the back of the house.
Lawn furniture, a well-tended garden, along with a few small fruit trees and bushes turned the walk into on obstacle course they all quickly completed.
Reaching the door, Jack reached out for the handle of the screen door and swung it open. Unlocked, as was he assumed the normal door was as well.
People in small communities like this trusted each other, he thought.
Just like home.
Brushing asside the nostalgia and reaching for the next handle, bryan smacked his hand away.
“You’re really a total idiot aren’t you? What if there is someone hiding in there?” Bryan chided.
Jack just sighed and shook his head.
Holding the shotgun at ready, Bryan indicated for him to open the door. When jack turned the nob with his good arm, Bryan rushed in.
Pointing the gun back and forth around the room. “Clear” He whispered back to the group. Bryan continued through the house like that for a good five minutes, finally returning to the group which had plopped themselves on the couch on the living room.
“All clear,” Bryan confidently beamed.
“Why are you all relaxing already? There could have been someone in the house, what if I was attacked?” Anxiety slightly creeping into his voice.
Rachel stood and handed him a note. “Found this in the kitchen after you rushed from the room while you were playing soldier,” she quipped with a smile on her face.
Bryans face dropped as he read it aloud, “Thanks for helping out, we’ll be back in a month. Make sure fluffy gets fed two cups..” He trailed off as he read the feeding instructions for the cat. “Where is the cat?”
Rachel stifled a giggle as she pointed to Sara next to Jack on the couch, with her head on Jacks shoulder and a small orange tabby curled up on her lap, nuzzeling her hand as she pet it. “Doesn’t seem like a threat,” she added. You could here it’s purr across the room.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Everyone broke out into light laughter at that, even Bryan couldn’t help himself.
Bryan plopped himself down in the armchair next to the couch, taking care to lean the shotgun on the end table along with Jack’s rifle. The sight of both weapons brought a grin to Bryans face. “Don’t think I forgot Jack, you have got a story to tell,” Bryan stated matter of factly.
Jack took in a deep breath, closing his eyes to try and center himself.
The entire walk after leaving Jimmies house, he had been argueing back and forth with himself on how much to tell everyone. In the end he decied they deserved the truth, Jack just hoped it wouldn’t change their view of him, scare them. He knew the amount of power he had used sure scared the heck out of him, why wouldn’t they be even more so?
Reluctantly Jack started to retell every detail as he had experienced it. It came easier as he went, the heavy feeling on his shoulders he had had the entire walk to the house was slowly slipping away as he spoke. Bryan got a good laugh as Jack told of his hamster ball experience with his shield. His humor quickly dissipated when Jack told them that the hit had made him loose focus and drop Jimmies cousin to his death.
Seeing the tears in his eyes, Sara softly tried to comfort him. “You did what you had to, he would have killed you. He would have killed us too.”
Sara’s words filled Jack with relief that she didn’t think he was evil for what he did. Still, he couldn’t shake the cold dark feeling in his chest.
I killed him...
He could still see the look on the thugs face when he almost slipped. And the look when he caught him. Tears started to fill Jacks eyes as he thought of what he had done. His accelerated mind worked against him, with the surge of feelings, he struggled to shut it down. All the years Jack had grown up wishing for magic, now he had it and didn’t know if he ever wanted to use it against another human being again.
Bryan, knowing his brother and how he thinks, leaner closer to his brother as he chimed in. “It’s not your fault,” He said. “I know your going to try blaming yourself for this but it really isn’t your fault. If Jimmy hadn’t been so hot headed and charged you, you would have slowly brought him to the ground safely. I know you would.”
Jacks eyes still watered as he pictured the twisted body, barely keeping the bile from his throat he replied, “But it is, if it wasn’t for me pulling him off the edge he would have been safe on the roof.”
“But if in that second your shield went down, he would have shot you dead.” Bryan said sternly. “He would have killed you had you given him the chance and you where trying to save him when you had the chance to kill him. Doesn’t that tell you enough?”
Jack nodded as he dried his eyes. He was only trying to protect his friends and had no intention of hurting anyone. He knew there was a high chance of confrontation going in, his powers had shown him that. But watching it in his head and watching in happen around him had been very different.
“Your right,” Jack conceded, “It still doesn’t make it any easier to handle. And I really don’t think it’s going to get any better going through the city tomorrow.”
Bryan nodded in acknowledgment, “Yea, who knows what its like down there. It might be something strait of road warriors or it might be completely deserted. We won’t know until we get there, but we have to be prepared to defend ourselves. That’s why we got the guns right? I don’t look forward to any of it but if we are going to get to Rachel and Sara’s parents’ house, we are going to have to stick together and be prepared to do whatever it takes to get us their safely.” As Bryan finished he realized he had stood in his conviction of his words.
Jack stared at his brother was a big smile that reached ear to ear, “Your getting much better at big speeches there brother. Still a bit cliché but we’ll work on it.”
The girls broke into giggles, both remembering his speech the first night they had met.
Bryan’s face burned red with embarrassment, his fists clenched at his side he stared daggers at Jack.
“I’m sorry Bryan, I know what you meant.” Jack quickly backpedaled. He’s seen this look from his brother before and it usually meant a fight was to ensue. “Your right.”
“Alright, alright” Bryan started, trying to hide his embarrassment “The house is safe but we have to keep it that way.” Trying to change the subject Bryan questioned Jack, “How is your arm feeling little genius?”
“Hurts like hell for lack of a better phrase.”
“Well, Rachel, can you help me secure the rest of the house? We’ve got to lock doors, windows, that sort of thing. We’ll let Sara tend to Jack here,” Bryan asked with a wink at Jack.
Rachel agreed with a nod, taking off through the house with Bryan to bolt the place down.
Now left alone, Sara turned to jack with a sad look on her face. “I wish there was something I could do to help Jack. Can I at least look at it, I took a first aid class one summer and should be able to at least give you a definite of how bad it is.”
“Sure,” Jack agreed. Sara’s closeness was still making his heart flutter which only got worse as she slowly adjusted his arm to get a better look. It soon took a back seat though as Sara ran her finger down the bones in his arm, trying to determine where the break was for when she reached three inches above his wrist her finger hit a bump that sent pain rocking through Jacks arm that made him shriek like he had broken it anew.
“I’m so sorry!” Sara apologized again and again at putting him in such agony again.
Jack assured her it was okay, that he knew she was just trying to help. But it didn’t help her hysterics much.
Bryan poked his head around the corner to check on them, having heard the shriek. With a brief glance he knew everything was ok and he disappeared around another corner into a different room.
Jack could swear he heard him being reprimanded by Rachel but at the same time Sara started sobbing.
Jack tried to console her but she just kept going.
“I just feel so useless,” Sara mumbled through her tears. “You have your powers, Bryan seems like a survival guru, Rachel is a great navigator, and then me? I just seem to be along for the ride.” At that, her sobs reached a new level and she softly placed her hands on Jacks broken arm. With her head hung low, hovering over her hands a tingling feeling began in jacks arm.
Jacks eyes went wide in surprise as the tingling increased. If Sara noticed, she didn’t show it in the least. Jack watched as she sobbed and saw the goose bumps on the back of her neck as her hair fell forward. She’s feeling the ice, he thought. She’s using her power!
With one last racking sob Sara collapsed forward onto Jacks arm in silence. In preparation for the pain he was sure to have jack winced and kept his lips closed firmly, not wanting to show her that she had caused him any pain. But the pain never came.
“Sara, you healed my arm! You fixed it!” Jack excitedly exclaimed. “Sara?”
Carefully Jack pulled his previously injured arm out from under Sara’s collapsed form. No pain. None at all, if anything it felt stronger than before as clenched his hand. Carefully he lifted Sara’s shoulders, making sure to brace her head. Just as carefully, he stood up and laid her back on the couch, pulling her legs up so she could lie down in a comfortable position. “Thank you,” Jack muttered under his breath. Taking a chance, he lent forward and kissed her cheek. Kneeling on the floor next to her, he stared at her calm beautiful face, still processing what she had done, inspecting his now healed wrist with his good arm.
Jacked hadn’t even noticed when Rachel had entered the room and was startled when he heard her voice come from above and behind him.
“What happened to her?” Rachel questioned with shock and anger leaking into her words. “What did you do to her?”
“”Nothing I did nothing,” Jack stammered, “She healed my arm! Look!”
Jack turned to look up at the concerned and confused face of Rachel and flailed his not healed arm in front of her. “She fixed it! She used her power finally, she can heal people! It probably just took a lot out of her to do it, remember how I almost passed out after the fight with Jimmy on the road?”
Rachel nodded, coming to kneel next to Jack and held Sara’s still overly warm hand, watching he chest slowly rise and fall. He could see the concern on her face but knew it was unwarented.
For cousins they are pretty darn close. Before this trip I don’t think Bryan would ever act like this for me. Maybe not even now.
Jack slowly stood and put a reassuring hand on Rachels shoulder. “She’ll be perfectly fine.” Glancing around, Jack realized how quiet it was in the house. “Where is Bryan?”
“Out back, stairing after the meteor” Rachel answered, pointing over her shoulderwith out taking her eyes off her cousin.
Jack crossed the homey livingroom with pictures of an unknown family on every surface. He observed them wondering what happens to each of them as he made it to the rear screen door. Standing in the door, a cool chill ran through him as a gust of wind blew by into the house.
The feeling relaxed him, reminding him of the cold night’s back home waiting for them in upstate New York.
Looking around, Jack quickly spotted Bryan standing on a chair he had dragged over to the fence so that he could comfortably lean forward on it. Jack pulled up another and placed it in the corner so he could do the same. Once standing at Bryans level, Jack looked over to his brother and gave a silent nod as both looked out to the stars of the night, the tail of the meteor just barely visible on the far horizon.
The look on Bryans faced was something new to Jack, his brother looked pensive, staring out into the night. Jack could tell something was weighing him down but wasn’t sure how to approach him, prying at times like this in the past few years had always ended ugly. Bryan seemed to read his mind though, letting out a long sigh and reaching over to tossel Jacks hair.
“We’re a long way from home brother,” Bryan started, “I’m afraid for mom and dad. What if they didn’t wake up? How are we going to get all the way there? What if we don’t make it? It’s barely been 24 hours since all this happened and we haven’t even made it out of these dam hills.”
Jack shook his head in thought, “Our parents have to be alive bry, if we woke up, I’m sure they did. Their mountain people, their resilient. They are the ones that taught us all of this survival stuff. Besides, do you really think that something like this has even shaken dad in the least? He’s probably got the whole town walled up together in a compound of their own making.” Jack smiled at that, he and his dad didn’t have a relationship like Bryan and he did, but he knew their dad had been in the military when he was younger and had always been a bit of a hard ass.
No he thought, dads proably like superman through all this.
Bryan got a light chuckle at that, he knew his brother spoke the truth.
Jack’s perch was closer to the next door neighbors then Bryan was. Something caught his attention, out of the corner of his eye he spotted something gleaming from the light of the meteor in the neighbor’s yard. Jack’s grin grew, “And I think I know a way for us to speed up our movement.”