Chapter One
"High school's finally over!" yelled Kathleen as she threw her graduation
hat into the air and caught it between her hands, having to bend down low
so that dust would not get all over it. The broad smile on her face was
definitely not there to hide her sheer delight.
"Oh, Kitty," said the mature Elizabeth as she shook her head, the corner of
her lip curled up into a smile. "Are we still on for tonight?"
"Sure. I think?"
"Ben will want to battle you at Super Smash."
"I'll beat the crap out of him!" Kitty then proceeded to laugh cruelly in
the fashion of an evil person.
"I wouldn't doubt it. No foul language around my kid brother. Not like he's
never heard the words before -- but I don't like it!"
"What? No cuss words? You're so mean."
"Thank you."
"Oi."
"I'll drive home and get my things."
Ben appeared at that moment, as if on cue.
"Ready to go, kid?" Elizabeth asked the seventeen-year-old.
"No way am I letting a little sixteen year old boy sleep over at my house
with an eighteen year old and nineteen year old!"
"Seventeen," Ben answered through his teeth.
"Whatever." Then, she added under her breath, "You little brat."
Elizabeth looked indignantly at her friend. She went into her natural pose
where her hands were on her hips and her head was tilted to the side, eyes
showing no toleration for the behavior.
"Just kidding. You don't have to have a cow."
"I don't even like cows. Why would I want to have one?"
"Fine! Bah!"
Elizabeth and Ben looked at one another. The three friends burst out
laughing. They could not help it.
"Come on, Ben," his elder sister told him. "I've gotta get my stuff so
Kitty and I can stay up all night playing Kingdom Hearts and some other
games."
"All right," he replied reluctantly.
"See you later, Kitty!" called Elizabeth as she turned and walked away,
hand up in the air, and waved over her head.
"See you, Libby! Bye, Ben."
And so the cat and the siblings parted company.
A long leg stepped out of a borrowed red masta. The matching followed it
shortly afterward and then another body bounced out of the passenger side.
"I get to ring the doorbell!"
"Fine," answered the girl as she opened the back door and grabbed her bag
out of the car.
Ben rang the doorbell. After a few moments passed by, in which was heard
yelling voices and running footsteps, Elizabeth walked over to stand next
to her brother and the door was opened by the flamboyant Kathleen.
"Hi!"
Elizabeth grinned and Ben laughed.
"So, are you coming in or not?"
"If you'll invite us," answered Elizabeth smartly.
"Oh? So you want me to invite you? I didn't know I had to invite you!"
"Now who's being smart?"
"Never more!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Absolutely nothing."
"Then why did you say it?"
"That's the beauty of it!"
"What?"
"No matter. To the top!"
"I challenge you!" Ben nearly yelled as the two came in, took off their
shoes, and then ran up the stairs.
"Not until you see Kingdom Hearts!"
Elizabeth smiled.
Kathleen looked at Elizabeth and said, "Man! You've got to see Cloud and
Sora. They're soooo cute!"
Grinning, Elizabeth answered, "As long as Riku is fine, I don't care about
the others appearances! Riku turns out to be okay in the end, right?"
"I don't know. I'm nearly done with the game though."
"Well, then hurry up! Let's see what happens."
"Whoa! I didn't know you rally liked that man. You're obsessed. Not as much
as me!"
"No one is as much as you. You've had the hots for Cloud since the sixth
grade! I can't believe I'm using this language!"
"It's all thanks to Final Fantasy Seven! Wah, ha, ha, ha!"
"Are we gonna play or are you going to be obsessed with anime guys all
day?"
"I wouldn't be talking if I were you. You've had three girlfriends this
year and you've cheated on them all by loving Kaoru!"
"I don't love Kaoru!"
"Ahh," Kathleen sighed. "All right. Back to work. Off to the PS2!"
"Dramatic isn't she?"
"Yep," replied Ben.
The three sat down in front of the game station. Kathleen began to finish
up the game as the siblings watched. Little did they see the subtle change
in the weather outside the window of the attic.
The wind began to pick up speed in the heat of the humid June. The smell of
the outdoors was musty. Rain splashed against the roof and splattered
against the window. The thunderstorm was picking up and the lightning and
thunder could be seen and heard.
Kathleen had just finished the game.
Lightning struck the roof of Kathleen's home. It traveled along the main
beam and down into the Play Station system. From there, it ran down the
cord of the system to the control. It struck Kathleen's hand.
Not only was this strange coincidence going to effect Kathleen, but the two
nearby siblings as well. Ben's toe was touching Kathleen's leg and
Elizabeth's shirtsleeve was touching Ben's pants.
"High school's finally over!" yelled Kathleen as she threw her graduation
hat into the air and caught it between her hands, having to bend down low
so that dust would not get all over it. The broad smile on her face was
definitely not there to hide her sheer delight.
"Oh, Kitty," said the mature Elizabeth as she shook her head, the corner of
her lip curled up into a smile. "Are we still on for tonight?"
"Sure. I think?"
"Ben will want to battle you at Super Smash."
"I'll beat the crap out of him!" Kitty then proceeded to laugh cruelly in
the fashion of an evil person.
"I wouldn't doubt it. No foul language around my kid brother. Not like he's
never heard the words before -- but I don't like it!"
"What? No cuss words? You're so mean."
"Thank you."
"Oi."
"I'll drive home and get my things."
Ben appeared at that moment, as if on cue.
"Ready to go, kid?" Elizabeth asked the seventeen-year-old.
"No way am I letting a little sixteen year old boy sleep over at my house
with an eighteen year old and nineteen year old!"
"Seventeen," Ben answered through his teeth.
"Whatever." Then, she added under her breath, "You little brat."
Elizabeth looked indignantly at her friend. She went into her natural pose
where her hands were on her hips and her head was tilted to the side, eyes
showing no toleration for the behavior.
"Just kidding. You don't have to have a cow."
"I don't even like cows. Why would I want to have one?"
"Fine! Bah!"
Elizabeth and Ben looked at one another. The three friends burst out
laughing. They could not help it.
"Come on, Ben," his elder sister told him. "I've gotta get my stuff so
Kitty and I can stay up all night playing Kingdom Hearts and some other
games."
"All right," he replied reluctantly.
"See you later, Kitty!" called Elizabeth as she turned and walked away,
hand up in the air, and waved over her head.
"See you, Libby! Bye, Ben."
And so the cat and the siblings parted company.
A long leg stepped out of a borrowed red masta. The matching followed it
shortly afterward and then another body bounced out of the passenger side.
"I get to ring the doorbell!"
"Fine," answered the girl as she opened the back door and grabbed her bag
out of the car.
Ben rang the doorbell. After a few moments passed by, in which was heard
yelling voices and running footsteps, Elizabeth walked over to stand next
to her brother and the door was opened by the flamboyant Kathleen.
"Hi!"
Elizabeth grinned and Ben laughed.
"So, are you coming in or not?"
"If you'll invite us," answered Elizabeth smartly.
"Oh? So you want me to invite you? I didn't know I had to invite you!"
"Now who's being smart?"
"Never more!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Absolutely nothing."
"Then why did you say it?"
"That's the beauty of it!"
"What?"
"No matter. To the top!"
"I challenge you!" Ben nearly yelled as the two came in, took off their
shoes, and then ran up the stairs.
"Not until you see Kingdom Hearts!"
Elizabeth smiled.
Kathleen looked at Elizabeth and said, "Man! You've got to see Cloud and
Sora. They're soooo cute!"
Grinning, Elizabeth answered, "As long as Riku is fine, I don't care about
the others appearances! Riku turns out to be okay in the end, right?"
"I don't know. I'm nearly done with the game though."
"Well, then hurry up! Let's see what happens."
"Whoa! I didn't know you rally liked that man. You're obsessed. Not as much
as me!"
"No one is as much as you. You've had the hots for Cloud since the sixth
grade! I can't believe I'm using this language!"
"It's all thanks to Final Fantasy Seven! Wah, ha, ha, ha!"
"Are we gonna play or are you going to be obsessed with anime guys all
day?"
"I wouldn't be talking if I were you. You've had three girlfriends this
year and you've cheated on them all by loving Kaoru!"
"I don't love Kaoru!"
"Ahh," Kathleen sighed. "All right. Back to work. Off to the PS2!"
"Dramatic isn't she?"
"Yep," replied Ben.
The three sat down in front of the game station. Kathleen began to finish
up the game as the siblings watched. Little did they see the subtle change
in the weather outside the window of the attic.
The wind began to pick up speed in the heat of the humid June. The smell of
the outdoors was musty. Rain splashed against the roof and splattered
against the window. The thunderstorm was picking up and the lightning and
thunder could be seen and heard.
Kathleen had just finished the game.
Lightning struck the roof of Kathleen's home. It traveled along the main
beam and down into the Play Station system. From there, it ran down the
cord of the system to the control. It struck Kathleen's hand.
Not only was this strange coincidence going to effect Kathleen, but the two
nearby siblings as well. Ben's toe was touching Kathleen's leg and
Elizabeth's shirtsleeve was touching Ben's pants.