The earliest memory he had was the screaming, the day he lost his mother, the day everything became different. He was still small at the time, barely past his mother's knee. There had been a loud boom, like thunder, and it scared him while he was out in the gardens, playing hide and seek with his sister. Then the screaming started, and it didn't stop. Everyone was running around, yelling and crying and pointing at the giant wall of water heading towards them. He was jostled in the crowd, and he was lost, calling for his mother and father and sister but being drowned out by the louder adults that were pushing him aside as they tried to find some way to stay alive.
"The shelters! Get to the shelters!" Someone screamed, as the bells rang out their warnings of the impending disaster. He was so scared; he didn't understand what was happening. He clung tightly to the doll in his arms, since he'd promised his big sister he'd keep it safe. Why was it so dark and cold? What was that glowing light above them? The next thing he knew he was staring at his mother's face; the relief yet fear on it almost palpable. "Lance! Are you alright love?" She asked, kneeling in front of him. He nodded, and she grabbed his arm and started pulling him in the direction of home, the red lights sweeping closer now. But he dropped the doll, and immediately pulled away to grab it. His mother stopped him. "Lance, Lance no, you have to leave it behind! There's no time- ", she stopped speaking when the red light hit her body, the color fading to a lighter blue.
She'd stared up at it, her crystal necklace floating up from around her neck, barely breathing and so, so still. Then she'd started glowing, her eyes first, then her crystal. He was looking around, trying to find his father, when there was a flash of light and his mother floated up and towards the brightly lit sky, her grip on his arm loosening yet pulling off the little Blue Lion charm bracelet she'd given him when he was born. "Mother? Mother!" He tried to reach for her, to pull her back to safety, but she had already vanished. A shell of blue energy surrounded the capital, trapping several Alteans inside and shutting out those unfortunate enough to be stuck on the opposite side.
The water crashed into the city, washing away buildings and people alike. He cried for his mother to come back, only to be pulled into his father's arms, his sister wrapping herself around him in relief. "Both of you, don't look. Whatever you do, don't look!" Father had ordered, covering his children with his body as he watched the bright ring of light spin faster and faster as the barrier rose higher, engulfing the castle and some of the outer city before the waves crashed into it, the city rumbling and shaking and sinking down, down, down, the ocean overhead making everything dark. The only sound he heard was the shaking, sobbing breaths of his father and sister.
"Keith? Keith! Wake up! You'll be late for your presentation!" Dark violet eyes shot open as the man in question fell out of bed, startled by his older brother's shouting. The clock on the wall telling him that he had twenty minutes to get everything ready and have his ass out the door or else those old fossils at the museum would never listen to him! Dammit!
/and that's chapter one! Did I do okay? Tell me what you think! I watched the movie while I wrote this, so hopefully it's accurate but with a bit of a twist. Next chapter is the whole Keith is berated and treated like dirt bit, then the whole Atlantis and the journal part! *cracks knuckles* I'm in a writing mood today, so it might be posted by tonight. I have all weekend, baby! Woo!