Life and Living

It hadn't stormed like this in years within this province of Russia. The towns were close to being evacuated due to the threatening waters overflowing their banks. The defiant few who remained would be a testiment to human will as they lived their lives in waist deep waters. Yet it continued to rain and drench the villages surrounding this small community. It was almost as if God was looking down on the actions of the people here, punishing them for a nameless act. The problem was it wasn't the town that needed to be penalized.

Deep within a mountainous sanctuary, high above the towns below, a series of heavy shutters clambered shut as the lightning and thunderous showers poured outside. Amidst the digital ticking and creaking, the conspicuous locale that they had chosen to house their experiment was rightful. As the doors slammed shut around their lab, they finished dissecting the data coming in. Months and months of work had come down to this one moment. A hollowing wind seemed to pervade every inch of the facility as the power surges continued to course through the circuits randomly. Within the hardened bunker, a panel of scientists sat below feverishly trying to gather the data and control the experiment.

"Everything's going AWOL," a frazzled scientist started punching frantically on his keyboard, "At this rate, this will set everything back for a decade or more. We can't lose the Legacy now... We've reached this far..."

"Anomalies registered in quadrant four... sealing vents."

"It's too late... The power's leaking out of the reactor... The containment protocols have failed. We have to abort now!"

A loud voice boomed over everything and shouted at the scientists as they panicked, "You are ordered to stay at your stations til we get what we came for. I don't want to hear another word until the experiment's finished! Don't forget where I found you lot! I can very well put you back at the dead end jobs I found you at!"

"We have to evacuate! The core's reached critical mass! If we don't get out of here now, we'll all be contaminated with high yield radiation," the first scientist called out, "I don't know what sort of madness drove you to this but I'm done... You said we were going to do something good for the betterment of mankind here... All we're insuring is another Chernobyl! You can dig your own grave for all I care. I'm saving those I can now." He stood eye to eye with his boss as he hit the intercom, "All crew are to evacuate the premises! This is a code 5 emergency. I repeat... This is a code 5 emergency. All hands are to abandon their stations and evacuate the premises immediately!"

A monotoned gunshot rung through the intercom as all went silent...

At the dawn of the 21st Century, mankind had progressed to a point beyond what they were in previous times. Cities had progressed. Technology and science had developed in leaps and bounds. However, humanity, as a whole, had grown selfish and greedy. People no longer cared about the welfare of others and only pursued their own ends. In a time, where compassion and empathy were rare, there had come a chance when humankind had to prove themselves. Gripped by fear of terrorism and hate, the moment had presented itself for their true colors to show through. The fate of everything laid with a single hope that would never go out. A simple flickering flame of indignance that resisted the flow of the world which would save us all from a horrible fate.

As the rest of the world progressed as it would, cities bustled and hurried along like worker ants at frightening fast paces. People were rushing against the clock and cars were dashing through the streets to finish the tasks ahead. The symphony of life and living was harmonious among the monotoned stone and brick structures that sat situated within the solid city streets. Their tinted windows glistened with an almost alien shine as workers busied themselves through the corridors of the buildings. Like clockwork, the fine cogs of workmanship furthered the ways of corporate America. Nothing could pause them from their momentum. It was all set in place for yet another Monday and yet another day of business as usual.

Outside this bustle of city life, a small white cottage rested some miles from the noise and clamber. Its almost virginal silhouette painted against the hillside was picturesque enough for a Norman Rockwell painting. The black shudders of the windows lay wide open for the mingling sun to peak through the windows as the shades danced in the breeze. The light was just beginning to wash over the small cottage as a small boy, in his teens, rolled over to a side to look at the sunlight outside. Groaning silently, he groggily walked into the bathroom and started his daily routine of brushing and grooming in preparation of yet another school day.

"Here we are yet again," he yawned, "Another day in my boring life. Another day in my boring class. Another day in this boring city. You must be looking down at me and laughing right now, Dad. I miss you... I hope you're doing okay where you are..."

The boy was of average build with his dark brown hair matted to one side in a somewhat part. It wasn't the fact that he was that scrawny of a kid that made him abnormal but it was the fact that his deep brown eyes shown a person much older than what he actually was. He stood there at the bathroom sink for a few moments gazing at himself. Flexing his arms, he made faces in the mirror and laughed at himself. He was tired of being the weak kid in class. It wasn't the fact of his physical prowess that made him weak but his own health. Unlike the rest of his class, he had to often stay home from school due to his frailty. This made it almost impossible for him to keep up with his homework. With tutors and homeschooling, set up as backups, he had almost assuredly made up for any holdups. Sighing to himself, he turned to go back to bed and buried his face in his pillow. I don't want to go today. He muttered to himself some curses as he laid there a moment.

"Jason!" his mother called, "Jason David Franks! Get your tail down here and eat breakfast! You're going to be late for class at this pace!"

Grumbling to himself again, Jason rose himself from his bed and stomped his way down the stairs, "I'm coming mother... I just woke up not too long ago. Give me a few moments before you start yelling for me."

"Don't take that tone with me, Jason," his mother laughed, "I made your favorite today, pancakes. Sit yourself down and eat before it gets cold."

"Great," Jason grunted pouring syrup over his pancakes and down his top, "Bah... I really don't think this's going to be a good day..."

"Mondays generally aren't," his mother teased, "Just worry about getting to school in one piece. You have 45 minutes before you have to be out this door."

"Thanks for the time check, mom," Jason chimed, "Do you have a weather channel too?"

"Oh ha ha," his mother shook her head, "I hear it's going to be around 75 today. Perfect weather for some outside time after classes. You really need to get outside more and stop holing yourself in your room with that computer."

"Easy for you to say," Jason said as he sat down the fork and knife on his empty plate, "Give me about 20 minutes and I'll be out the door. I needed to get to school early anyway..."

He left his mom in the kitchen as he jumped every other stair to get back into his room. The door to his bedroom closed and the bathroom opened, he stood in his room gathering his things for class. Throwing his towel over the rack and shutting the door behind him, he quickly undressed and took a warm shower. The steam poured through the gaps in the door as he emerged from the shower as clean as he could manage. Jason wiped the mirror clean of condensation and looked at himself again. He couldn't believe it was today... Today was the fifth anniversary of that night. Running a finger through the scar in his shoulder, he looked at how he could barely see it now but it felt as it did that day. His heart seemed to not want it to heal. He knew he didn't have any right to be alive today but it was his father's last wish for him to survive.

Drying off and throwing his clothes over his form, he dashed for his backpack and jumped the stairs randomly to the back door. A blur passed by his mom as Jason waved a goodbye to her and grabbed his bike speeding off to school. The black and red ten speed seemed to glide down the path as he turned the corner and met up with his pal, Chase. He was slightly chubbier than Jason was and had a certain way about him that closely resembled a chihuahua.

Randomly looking behind him, Chase checked to see if they were being followed, twice every second. His blond hair and glasses shined as the sun struck his childlike handsome face. He didn't look his age and was often found to be the butt of a lot of jokes because of it.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Jason chuckled, "We're not being followed. If we were being followed, I think they'd at least use something quicker than a bike or a spy. They'd prolly set something up at school."

"Jason..." Chase smirked, "If you knew the stuff about the government that I did... you would be jumpy too. I've already told you about Roswell and the JFK assassination."

"Yes, yes," Jason chortled, "I remember that they were connected or something... I guess it wasn't that important to me."

"You kill me, " Chase joshed and shook his head jokingly, "You play dumb and coy but you hide your evil brilliance nicely. I really wonder if you didn't build your mom after you killed your real parents."

"That was after I took place in the Boston Marathon and the 2000 Olympics," Jason prodded cackling, "I won the discus throw with one hand and beat everyone in the pole vault. They said I had size on my side but hey... you know... being ten years old helps a lot with it."

"Funny," Chase feigned sarcasm, "Hey! Look who it is... Your girlfriend! So when's your next date?"

"Who?" Jason looked around quickly, "Kimberly Johnson? That cheerleader? Are you kidding me? I don't even exist with her around. With her perfect hair and body, I'd have to look like one of those jockstraps."

"Speaking of which," Chase added, "There's her boyfriend, Luke. Wonder if we'll get lucky and he'll forget about us today?"

"Fat chance," Jason shot Luke a glare, "It's been five years today since that night and I don't think it's going to go well... I have this bad feeling..."

"You and your feelings. First, you said you had visions of me being hit by a car and the next thing I know, you pushed me out of the road randomly." Chase shrugged.

Jason turned to look at Chase, "If I hadn't done that, you would've been road pizza! Did you see that semi barreling down the road? That wasn't a coincidence..."

"Yeah... but that wasn't a car... It's not like I have continually thanked you for it though," Chase patted Jason on his shoulder, "How bad is your feeling? On a rating of one to ten? I mean... I'll turn around right now if it's a ten..."

"I dunno... I'd have to say a four right now," Jason pleaded trying to look convinced, "Something's going to happen at class and I don't think it's going to vote well for any of us..."

"Just a four? Here you are talking like it's the end of the world as we know it and you say it's a four?" Chase hesitated, "I'm going to class today just to prove you wrong. Nothing that bad will happen in this town. They didn't nickname this place the living embodiment of Angel Grove for nothing."

"Right... and remember what Rita and Lord Zedd did to the Angel Grove on television?" Jason prodded looking for any sign of agreement, "They nearly vaporized the place off the map..."

"Dude, you know that stuff's not real... Really... you need to stop watching that," Chase looked annoyed, "You're a sophomore in high school. Let's not talk about kid shows, ok? We have enough trouble without that. Let's talk about sports?"

Jason sped up and off towards school "You know I hate sports..."

A trickle of teenage students poured into the mahogany bricked edifice as Chase and Jason parked their bikes and locked them into place. The structure before them was as old as the city itself. It fancied itself made in the 1890s with its sturdy frames and foreboding welcome. It was a lot of things as it lived its life and was even a prison at one time in the 1950s. The renovations on the structure made it one of the more well adapted high schools in the United States. After the Columbine incident, a lot of schools were hard pressed for making the improvements needed to ensure security. This high school was one of the rare exceptions because it had a lot of the alterations already on campus. It was quite formidable as it was frightening. There were a lot of odd stories surrounding the place but most of it was hokey superstition.

Within the school, the halls were jammed pack full of movement as Jason and Chase pushed past the crowds. Amongst the cliques, posters and announcements, randomly pinned to bulletin boards, the passages were about as dull as the outside structure itself. The lack of color and decoration really spoke true to the ethics of the schooling body. About the only curriculum encouraged was sports and even then, they didn't really advertise with their school colors. It still didn't stop the regular jocks and cheerleaders from trying to spruce up the area during dances and school functions.

Marching along the corridors, Jason and Chase made their way to their lockers. They didn't have much further to go because they resided close to each other's. As they turned to find their lockers, they met up with the rest of their crew. Of the group, Brian was the lanky tall fellow who wore a wicked grin all the time. Most people mistook it as he was cocky and full of himself but those who knew him, knew that he was plotting jokes and tricks to come. Beside Brian, there was a shorter teen at around the same age that stood propped up against his locker. Billy wore thick black glasses and a pocket protector but his attitude didn't really match how he looked. The confidence seemed to pour from him as he stood there. It was surprising that such a nerdy chap would exute such beliefs. Not too far from them, their last friend was pacing between the lockers as if she was about to lose her temper. She was of oriental decent and had the shortest fuse of the group.

"It's about damned time you got your ass here," she barked at Jason, "You said you'd be here 20 minutes ago."

"I'm sorry, Trini," Jason lowered his head, "I tried to get here sooner but mom actually made me breakfast today..."

"I told you to stop calling me that!" she yelled, "It's Trinity! Not Trini..."

"Relax, Trinity," Chase sighed, "What did you need to speak with us about?"

"Brian and Billy need some help," Trinity nodded, calming herself, "There's a school fundraiser tonight and they need volunteers. I think we should step forward and help out."

"I can't," Jason looked down, "Today's the fifth anniversary..."

"Jason..." Trinity cut in, "That's why I wanted you to come with us. You can't just blame yourself and lock yourself up in your room. Your dad wouldn't have wanted that."

"I bet he didn't want to die either... I just wish I was half the man he was," Jason breathed.

"You need to forgive yourself for what happened, Jase," Billy poked him in the side, "Come with us tonight and have some fun for once. Stop trying to atone for something you didn't have anything to do with."

"But..." Jason tried to interject.

"No buts about it," Chase knocked him over the head, "We're going to go do this and enjoy it. There's no way to get out of it either. I know where you live and I'll drag you down the street if I have to."

"Now that's settled," Trinity smiled triumphantly, "We'll have to meet up here at about 6 to set up. You don't have to wear anything fancy but there'll be a DJ here. I'm sure you'll have a blast too, Jase. You've needed this for a week."

A drab metallic clank resounded against the hollowed school giving them nod to hurry off. Jason and his crew grabbed their things and scurried off to their classes. Trinity hung back twirling her skirt around in a victory dance. Her favorite pasttime was cosplaying as various anime characters and she found herself cosplaying as a schoolgirl today. Trinity's hair swung around as she pranced towards her first class in a clearly much more chipper mood than before. She didn't even have to fight them that much about it. It was all too easy. She was much easier to deal with after she got her way about things.

Stumbling into his first hour class, Jason situated his backpack under his seat and looked out over the glowing grounds before him. He hadn't looked forward to this day and wanted to be out there so much. As his teacher drawled on about the upcoming pop quiz, he drifted off in daydreams about saving his father and saving everyone he had ever cared about. These dreams of heroic fantasy were often for Jason and he was always saving some helpless person from evil in one way or another. He wasn't so deluded that he wished for such things to happen nor was he so crazy that he really believed his dreams. He was just a guy who strongly wanted the power to protect his loved ones. After his father died, Jason watched over his house as his mother worked nights. He didn't want his mother worrying the small things anymore. He wanted to be the man that his father was... This strong conviction drove him to take burdens that weren't his own to bare and often led him to barricading himself in his room with his computer. The problem was he wasn't distant or anything but rather too caring for his own good, which was a rarity among kids his age...

"Jason," his teacher called him back to reality, "Your paper? I don't want to give you a zero for it if you did the work..."

"Oh, right..." Jason trailed off and handed him the paper, "I'm sorry... I've got a lot on my mind today."

"It's fine," his teacher reaffirmed, "You're still young. Don't go wishywashy on me. If you keep burdening yourself over the past, you're going to waste your life holding onto the things you didn't do."

"Thank you," Jason smiled, "You always have such great advice..."

An explosion rocked the campus as dust and rubble crashed down around them. Screams and howls of pain echoed through the class. Jason looked up from his guard and at the teacher he had just saved. No one was hurt that badly. But whatever caused that wasn't stopping. A random barrage of small blasts struck around the town as maniacal laughter filled the ears of everyone... and all went dark.