Crystal and Dew

[Kritter]

Ronny, with her eyes wide..her mouth a round "O" shape..broke into a laugh at her own surprise.

"What was that..?", she asked, clasping her hands over her mouth and giggling like she had just heard whispered gossip about someone she hated. I stared at her, amazed at her excitement in the face of my own alarm.

"I don't...", I said. The word 'know' never followed. I was looking around the basement in all directions, and then up at the ceiling. I may have laughed too, but it had sounded for all the world..to me..like a massive explosion.

Her face changed, noting the concern on mine. She began looking around too, but it was just in a clueless copy of myself. It was obvious to me that..whatever we had just heard and felt..was a long way away from where we were. It was also.. kind of cool! I started towards the stairs..and she followed.

"Chris..", my mother's voice yelled in a panic from somewhere above us.

"Ma?", I called back..moving up the stairs more swiftly now at the frightened sound of her voice.

"Stay!", she shouted. "Stay down there, are you ok? Stay down there! I'll be right there."

Ronny started huffing out small laughs, her eyes bright with fascinated astonishment. Her hands stayed over her mouth, which still hung agape.

"Chris, oh my god!!", she laughed, "..what do you think it is?"

"I don't know, an..explosion or something", I said.

"I know!", she said in agreement. "Did you feel it...like the whole floor felt like it moved. I was so totally freaking", she smiled, "And it was so loud, Oh my God!"

I laughed now, caught up in her giddy excitement.

Ronny wasn't really my best friend. We had been friends when we were little kids because we lived next door to each other, but that was just that..kids stuff. I mostly hung out with a different crowd than her at school. We would still get bored though, at home after school, and inevitably would find our ways to each other's basements, hanging out, gossiping about school and boys..and listening to music.

It had been a long time though, since we had shared a laugh this hard, and the first time we had shared one this heart felt. Something..exciting.. was happening.. someplace.., and we had been a part of it. I couldn't wait to get upstairs and call all my friends. Which reminded me..

"Ma?", I called up the stairs.

I started back up and Ronny pulled on my arm.

"She said to stay down here", she said.

"Yeah, but..", I attempted to reason.

"Chris..what if that was like a..nuclear bomb or something", Ronny grinned.

I snuffed out a nervous laugh, the hairs standing up on the back of my neck. We lived a good thirty miles from any place I would think someone would want to drop a bomb, and it wasn't even a really big city. The only big thing anywhere near us was just an army base or something.

"Ma...?", I called up the stairs again.

Something was going on. Something big,..and there was no way in hell I was gonna stay in the basement and miss it.

"Come on", I said to Ronny, suddenly feeling every bit entitled to my right to flash her a dramatic look..and rush up the stairs.

[Kritter]

Before I could push open the door at the top of the stairs, a wave of hot air rushed past my face, momentarily sucking the breath from my lungs and leaving me feeling winded and flush. Ronny shrieked, and we both sat flat down on the stairs for a second. First time my knees ever went weak on me. I didn't really know what that meant until now.

"Chris..", she whimpered. "That was totally a bomb!"

"I don't..why would it..", my disjointed thoughts wouldn't allow for a full sentance. "A bomb would just..blow us up. That was like..a wind or something", I said.

"A really far away bomb", Ronny said.

I pursed my lips, trying to decide whether or not we were actually in some kind of danger. I couldn't really picture it though. This kind of stuff didn't happen in North Carolina. It happened in New York, and the Middle East.. places on TV. TV..the very word brightened up my thoughts..

"I bet it's on TV!", I said.

"WE could be on TV!", Ronny squealed..and we both fought each other through the door and up into my den.

The TV was already on, but it was static on all the channels. Ronny started clinging to my arm at that point. The world is fine until you lose TV.

"Maaa..?", I shouted.

We walked to the back door and stepped outside. We lived on the side of a mountain, although my cousin in Arizona always laughed at me when I said that. "That ain't no mountain", she'd tell me. "That's barely a hill.." It was the highest thing around here though, and from my back porch, we could see for a couple of miles.

"Oooh..what the...", Ronny gasped.

The sky along the horizon was red, red like there was a fire going on far away, except that it covered the horizon almost as far as I could see in each direction. The sky above that looked dark and foreboding, like when a thunderhead rolls towards us over the mountains. I looked up at the sky above my head. It was still blue..but littered with little bits of floating ash.

"That could have been a meteor or something, maybe..", Ronny said suddenly. "Doesn't it look like that?"

"Yeah..", I said..slightly relieved at that thought. A bomb would have left a big mushroom kind of cloud. I'd seen it on TV. My eyes momentarily drifted from the amazing skyline to our yard..scanning for my Mom. She wasn't the kind of Mom who would like freak out and hide. She was actually pretty cool. She probably thought it was aliens or something, cause she was always talking about them when we'd look at the night time stars.

"There's millions of earths out there", she would say to me. "Millions of people just like us, all floating around together."

"If there's aliens, Mom..how come they don't just land and say 'hi'?" I questioned her skeptically.

"Well because..some of them aren't advanced enough for space yet, and some probably don't care..but the ones who can, are waiting for us to evolve more..ya know? When we finally stop blowing each other up..", she had said.

I looked back at the skyline. That was Durham over there, and Raleigh maybe. Two places where alot of people lived. 'Used to live', my mind corrected me.

"This is really messed up", I said, my throat choking back the sudden urge to cry. "Where the hell is my mom?"

Ronny grasped at my arm again, clutching my shoulder and looking back inside the house. I wanted her to not be clinging to me like I was the stable one here. This was all starting to get a little far too scary.

"Come with me to my house, please", she begged. "My Mom will know what it is.." Ronny's home was only a five minute walk from mine. Not many people lived up here, so I understood why she was a little afraid to go by herself, but there was no way I was leaving my house till I knew where my own Mom had gotten to.

"Go home and I'll come over as soon as I find my Mom", I said. "Promise."

"Watch me", she said, wanting me to keep her in view while she walked. I rolled my eyes at her like she was being babyish..but it did all seem kind of spooky. "Please don't let any meteors fall on my head", she prayed aloud dutifully, and darted out onto the street.

I stood in the doorway while she skittered up the road..both running and making dodging motions while she covered her head. I laughed at her craziness. All the things that made her really fun to be around were the things I wouldn't do in public myself. Like when she climbed in a shopping cart at the Walmart and wanted me to push her around the parking lot in it.

The sound of another explosion reached my ears, causing me to duck in the doorway a second. I could hear Ronny scream from all the way down the street. I raced to the back porch, trying to locate the source. A fresh plume of fire and smoke, a little closer to my home. I couldn't really think what was over that way.

"Chris..", my mother's faint voice called out, turning my head. It was coming from upstairs..from her room maybe. Her voice sounded weak,..disoriented. I ran towards her, my mind racing from all of the craziness. We would be talking about this for weeks, I thought. Heck..my Mom and I would probably be talking about this for years.

My mom was sitting on the floor, leaning up against her bed. She had a cut or something on her head..I could see it was bleeding and swollen.

"What fell on you?", I asked.

"I came up here to grab some blankets and things, and I got nervous for a minute and I..I think I..passed out.. ", she said, as if asking me to confirm that's what she did.

"Something hit you on the head", I said.

She shook her head. "No..my head hit..", she said, and pointed to the corner of her nightstand.

"Ouch", I sympathized. "Are you gonna be ok? Do you need me to..", I said as I stepped towards her, putting my hands out to help her up.

The clarity in her eyes started to return a bit..I could see them refocusing on me and on my hands as she stretched hers out towards me. She got to her feet and then sat down on her bed..and in that same moment, remembered what was going on.

"Oh Chrissy..", she frowned suddenly, "we need to get someplace safe."

[RVN11B]

Now I am wondering just where did I stash that old motor cycle helmet.

Good start. Awaiting more.

[KarenInKS]

Good start to a story. Would you please continue this story?

[hummer]

Very nice beginning. Of course we need a little....moooaaaarr.

[nana2boys]

I'm already hooked. Thank you for sharing

[nancy98]

Very good start. Thank you.

[Mysty]

I miss your writing Kritter. You should do something soon You are very talented. C'mon girl, lets get some MoAr story, any story !!

[nancy98]

It would be nice to see more of this story.

[Kritter]

I started this about four years ago..but I got side tracked by The Cargo Man's Tale. I honestly don't even remember what this was going to be about any more. :/

But okay..it has been awhile. Maybe I'll write something new.

[Mysty]

Yay! You are one of my very favorites. I love your writing style, its so fun and draws me right in. You are one of those artists that I cannot stop reading until there isn't anything left to read. *happy dance*!!!

[seraphima]

I always liked this story start because the characters seemed so real- not everybody is an uber-prepared martial artist black belt with years in special forces ops! If this kind of a scenario happens, lots of people will be like Chris- young, silly, having to sober up right quick.
Please, moar!