Preface: The Beginning

Maine, USA 1995

"Come on, Charlie!" Out of the corner of her eye Kim saw her mom's boyfriend smile. She waited 5 seconds. Charlie sighed and shut her door, plunging her room back into darkness. She waited until she heard the car crunching down the driveway before she threw off her covers to reveal a small 7 year old girl dressed in jeans, t-shirt, and hiking boots; hardly the dress for a comfortable sleep. A digital clock on her nightstand showed 10:05 pm. She went over to her balcony and opened the doors. A cold breeze rushed in and Kim grabbed a jacket and a flashlight before swinging herself over the railing and landing in her backyard. The rhythmic crash of waves covered any noise she made getting her bicycle and leaving the grounds of Charlie's large estate with the 2 story Victorian style house. As she raced down the driveway she looked back once to make sure that her babysitter was still in the family room watching 'Die Hard'. Judging by the flickering light of the t.v she was. Kim passed through the open gate and out of sight, quickened by the natural descent of the cliff Charlie's house was built on.

Sarah laughed happily and kissed Charlie on the cheek. She was so lucky to have him. They were both lucky to have him. Kim and her.

Sarah had given birth to Kim when she was only 14. She'd been rape, she didn't even know who Kim's father was. Sarah had had abusive parents, so she ran away with Kim when she was 15, consequently dropping out of high school. She paid for a shabby apartment in a city called Lorence in the south of Utah by working at a drugstore. When the apartment was condemned she was forced onto the streets. She squatted in a deserted pool hall for 5 months before she moved on. She was 17 when she arrived with her 3 year old daughter in Cherville, Maine. A man by the name of John Henderson rented out a room to her. He was a 65 year old mailman. He got her a job at a local diner and enrolled her in night classes to get her a high school diploma. He cared for her daughter, Kimberly, who began to call him grandpa. Sarah spent the next year in relative peace with John and Kim. John died of heart cancer on her 18th birthday. He was only 66. That was the first time in Sarah's life that she had cried for someone else. John had left her everything. He had written a letter to Sarah explaining why. He had finally found a family in them. Sarah still had that letter. She stayed with the diner and still took classes and slowly the money disappeared.

At the age of 19 she was halfway through high school, but there was no more money to continue. That's when she met Charlie. Charles Thompson was 20 years old when he suddenly appeared in Cherville. The townspeople thought he would disappear just as suddenly too. He looked the type. 6 feet with long black hair in a ponytail and a scruff over his chin. Built like a runner and wearing scruffy khakis and ripped t-shirt. Knapsack flung carelessly across his shoulder and stormy gray eyes that stared off into space. A roamer. He even had a nasty scar on his neck that reached from the bottom of his right earlobe, down his neck and across his chest to his left shoulder, though you could only see it if you stared hard like the townspeople were prone to do with strangers.

One day he had come to her diner and noticed her. He was a handsome man, but they hadn't exactly leaped into each others arms, though. Sarah hadn't really trusted him at first. She didn't really trust any man, especially one who looked at her like Charlie did. To the interest of everyone, he rented a townhouse and began to take interest in the local college. Over the next summer he slowly began to ease into Sarah's life. He went to the diner every morning on Sarah's shift. Sarah always brought Kim to work, the owner allowed it because Kim was quiet and helped clean the floor. Kim never talked around strangers, but she seemed to take a liking to Charlie, who, if she asked nicely, would tell her stories about alien princesses and space pirates.

Sarah and Charlie's first kiss was on the rocky beaches of Maine, while Kim skipped stones. Charlie bought the Victorian house on the cliff. He paid in cash and moved in with Kim and Sarah. There was some debate over where he got the money. Charlie told her that it was his inheritance from his parents, who had died when he was 17. He didn't talk about his past that much and he always skillfully steered away from the subject when anyone asked. To say the obvious, they fell in love and after much persuasion on Charlie's part, he began to pay for Sarah's education to continue. It had been 2 years. Charlie was 22 now and going to be a junior in college next term, getting his major in Biology. Kim was 7 and in 1st grade at the local elementary school and Sarah, now 21, had just graduated high school. The graduation ceremony had been that afternoon and now they were out celebrating. The beginning of that abnormally chilly summer was starting out perfect.

"Hey, where are you?" Charlie's soft voice brought Sarah back to there little table in the corner of the candle-lit Italian restaurant. She smiled and sipped her coke through her straw.

"Just thinking about you." Charlie chuckled,

"Good thoughts I hope." Unexpectedly a tear rolled down Sarah's cheek. Charlie scooted his chair closer to hers and asked worriedly.

"Now, what's this?" He reached out and gently wiped the tear away. Sarah buried her face in his shoulder, the unwanted tears slowly wetting his shirt. Charlie lifted her chin with his finger.

"Sarah, what's wrong? You aren't hurt are you?"

"Nothing's wrong, that's what." She whispered, angry at her loss of control. That startled a laugh out of Charlie. Waiters and diners at the other tables glared at him briefly for disturbing the mood. He noticed and lowered his voice.

"Then why are you crying?" Sarah shook her head.

"I might tell you someday." She said wiping her nose on her sleeve, commanding herself to regain control. Suddenly the waiter was there with their food. Spaghetti and meatballs. Sarah took one look and said,

"Charlie, let's get it to go." Charlie laughed again. God, she loved his laugh. He raised his eyebrows high and asked,

"Why?" The waiter stared at her waiting patiently with his platter.

"I – I just want to be outside. Let's go to the beach, Charlie. You know, I'm sorta feeling claustrophobic."

"Alright. Can we get this in boxes?" The waiter nodded and left. Charlie hugged Sarah to him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sarah nodded.

"I just want to hear the waves." They left 2 minutes later for the spot where they had first kissed.

Kim slid to a stop and looked around. She was on a hill, overlooking Cherville. She put down the kick stand and left the bike next to a tree before turning on her flashlight and looking around. She looked at her watch. 10:45. They had 5 minutes to get there or she was leaving. Suddenly there was a crackle of leaves. Kim spun around and trained her flashlight into the eyes of a boy.

"Ah, turn it off, Kimberly!" Kim muttered some apologies and turned off the light. James came over to stand next to her. He was about 7, with dark hair and even darker eyes.

"No one else here yet?" Kim shook her head. Just then there was a loud crashing noise and two boys stumbled into the clearing. James face burst into a smile.

"Billy, Henry. Was'sup!" Matthew, a large black boy smiled his eerie white smile and gave James a high five. He said he was 8, but Kim thought he looked 10. Henry was a small boy with glasses. He seemed to have Viking blood running in his veins. He was also 8.

"Did you bring it?", asked James in a whisper. Matthew nodded self-importantly and lifted up a small bag.

"It's my brothers." Kim stared curiously at the bag. She wondered what could be so interesting as to get her to come out at 10:50 at night behind her mom's back.

"Where's the other chick?" That was Henry. He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. James shrugged. Suddenly there was a loud squeal and a girl with big, yellow pigtails rushed into the clearing, jumping wildly up and down.

"Get it off!" Kim sighed and pulled a daddy long legs off the front of the girl's pink shirt.

"There, it's off." Madison sighed in relief and smiled at her rescuer. Kim rolled her eyes. For an 8 year old Madison got scared easy. Madison shook her pigtails out than turned to Matthew.

"Now, why are we here, Matt?"

"Matthew, my least favorite aunt calls me Matt. And this is why we're here." With a flourish he pulled from the bag a box of Marlboros. He flipped the top open and pulled out he only cigarette in it.

"A cigarette!" Kim stared at Matthew in disgust.

"I'm not smoking that krap!" James sneered. Henry got a look of superiority on his face and he pushed his glasses farther up his nose.

"Why not? Madison's gonna do it." Madison gave him a shaky smile and seemed to nod in agreement. Kim just shook her head.

"Hell no!" James seemed about to argue, but Matthew cut him off with a wave of his hand. He pulled out the cigarette and stuck it between his lips. Henry threw him a match box.

"Let her go.", he said, smiling his eerie smile again, the cigarette clenched between his teeth.

"She's just a kid anyways." Kim turned on him in anger,

"I'm not a kid!" He just smiled and struck a match. Kim had had enough. Why was she there anyways? They were just tourists staying the night before leaving to get to where they're going. They had met at the diner and, like any other children, struck up a gang, while their parents ate. They had agreed to meet that night on a whim. Kim was regretting that she had even come. She was just getting onto her bike when all of a sudden she was blown off her feet and sent somersaulting down the hill. Tumbling out into the darkness, deaf and blind.

Charlie watched Sarah happily as she skipped rocks on the beach. Their dinner was long gone and in a trash bin somewhere on the boardwalk where they had eaten together, listening to the waves. His hair was out of his ponytail and floating lazily in the ocean breeze. It was cold for a summer night. Sarah stopped throwing stones and came over to sit next to Charlie. She let him hold her next to him and they lay down together and looked up at the stars. Charlie sighed happily and fingered something in his pocket.

"Sarah?"

"Hmmm?" She yawned and pulled his arms around her. That was when she noticed that something glittered in his hand. He whispered into her ear, the crashing waves a soft background noise to his voice,

"Will you marry me?" Sarah nodded slowly, a smile spreading and brightening her face. Charlie let out a sigh of relief. Sarah would never know how scared he had just been.

"Thank you.", she whispered. Charlie took her hand and put the ring on her finger and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Thank you.", he whispered back. They held each other, laughing happily. Neither had ever been as happy as they were at that moment in their whole entire lives. Just then Charlie saw something that made him freeze. Sarah noticed him stiffen. She stopped laughing and asked worriedly,

"What's wrong?" Charlie's breath was ragged. He knew what he had just seen.

Suddenly there was a loud boom and a blast of heat tore along the beach as a great ball of flame lit up the sky above them. Sarah yelled out in fear. Charlie looked at her, then stood. Still looking up he began to run for the car. He shouted over his shoulder,

"Stay here!" Sarah reached out to him,

"Charlie!"

"Don't follow me, Sarah." Charlie reached the car and yanked open the door, got in and took out his keys. Sarah got in too just as the ignition started. Charlie looked over at her angrily,

"Sarah!" She gazed defiantly back at him. She only needed to say one word.

"No." Charlie stared at her for a second, than stepped on the gas. The car rushed forward. Everything was a blur as they drove. Finally they were there.

It was horrible. It was like a plan had crashed on the beach. Sarah gasped. They had to call 911. No one would have seen this, they were in the middle of nowhere, pocketed between cliffs 100's of feet high. Even if someone had seen it at the gas station 5 miles away, the police wouldn't be able to get there in time to save anyone. Charlie got out of the car and ran to the wreckage. Sarah just stared. It wasn't an airplane. It was a spaceship. She watched as Charlie frantically rummaged through the burning pile. Suddenly he gave a cry.

"Charlie!" Sarah clumsily unbuckled herself and rushed over to Charlie once she got out, fearing he had hurt himself, but she gasped and stared in revulsion at what she saw. On the ground was a severed hand. Charlie flung aside a large piece of metal sheet. Sarah tried not to lose her dinner when she saw what lay under the metal. Lying there was a man.

"Who is it?", Sarah whispered. Charlie did not answer, but knelt down beside the man. He was about 28 and covered with burns and blood. Sarah knew the man was dying. She knew he would never make it. Charlie reached out and gripped the man's remaining hand gently and with his other hand checked the man's pulse.

"Gen.", he called. Sarah stared at Charlie in shock, but said nothing. In a louder voice, Charlie said,

"Genid. Gen, wake the fuck up man!" The man's eyes flickered open and he groaned. He noticed Charlie and slowly grinned, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth and cutting a line through the grime.

"Hey kid.", he whispered painfully. He held out something to Charlie. It looked like a small black box. Charlie took it.

"Sorry I lost the stones. You'll have to find 'em yourself." He let out a sigh and stared up into the night sky.

"Bye kid." Charlie didn't even realize Gen had died. He shook him gently. Sarah placed her hand on Charlie's shoulder, trying to comfort him silently. Charlie moaned painfully. She knelt beside him and took him into her arms and was shocked when he clung to her and began to sob into her shoulder.

"Damn it!" Sarah slowly caressed his neck and made soothing sounds, trying to make him stop crying. She had never seen him cry. She said the only thing she could say.

"I'm sorry Charlie." Just then there was another loud noise. It sounded like air being sucked into a vent. Charlie's head shot up and he whispered past her ear, his body trembling in her embrace,

"Beliar." Sarah shivered despite herself. Charlie didn't sound right. His voice was a mixture of terror and all-encompassing hatred. Suddenly Charlie was running toward the car, pulling her behind him. Not listening to her protests, he flung her in the car and raced around the other side to get in. Sarah buckled herself in and shouted,

"Charlie! Tell me what's going on, Charlie!" He did not answer, and that was when Sarah truly got scared. Charlie never ignored her when she spoke to him. He started the car and began to back up.

BAM! Sarah was screaming and she didn't even know it. The wreckage in front of them was gone and only a gaping hole could be seen where it had once been. Hanging suspended above the hole, pointed straight at them was a large black ship. Charlie wrenched the steering wheel and spun the car to face the other way, then he pushed the gas pedal to the floor. The car shot forward in a cloud of sand and they were racing.

They lost. Just as they reached the road, there was a sudden flash of light and the car was blown off the ground and Sarah's world narrowed down to the rock wall racing towards her. The car hit with a grinding of metal against the side of a cliff and it fell to the ground exploding into a raging inferno. The horrible black ship came to hover above the burning wreck for a long minute before turning around and disappearing, leaving the fires to burn.

Kim wrenched her leg out from under her bike and struggled to stand up. Her shirt was ripped and she was bleeding from tiny scratches from her roll halfway down the hill and her ears kept ringing. She wiped some dirt from her forehead and began to hobble quickly back up. When she got to the top she could only stare. The tree was gone, or most of it anyways. The split trunk was charred and there was an 8 foot wide hole around the point of impact. The heat was slowly disappearing, but it was still enough to discourage Kim. She barely noticed the others gather behind her, but she did notice with a certain ironic satisfaction that Matthew had gotten the worst of the burnt. His whole body was covered with soot and grime and his hair was mostly singed off. That should teach him not to smoke. Henry's glasses were hanging off one ear, broken in half and he was squinting at the tree. Madison peeked over Kim's shoulder,

"What is it?" Her voice was soft with awe and sounded a little nasal. She had crushed her nose on her own stumble down the hill. Kim didn't answer, but stepped toward the hole, her eyes locked on the charred black object in the center. The others followed her silently. Kim's face was red with the heat coming from the hole, but she reached out to the object anyways, kneeling as she did so.

Suddenly there was a loud hiss. All five jumped back in fear. Matthew whimpered softly, but did not cry out. The object began to open. Kim thought it looked like a lumpy egg with a side being peeled back to reveal a yolk, but instead of a yolk there were five stones, or slivers of stones as long as their index fingers. They were all different colors.

Kim's eyes only saw the red one. It wasn't exactly red, though, more like a bunch of different reds put together. Also it seemed to glow to her. Madison seemed entranced by the multi-yellowed one. The same went with Matthew and the blue stone and Henry and the green one. James seemed intent on the last one that was a pure black, but he seemed to be uncomfortable looking at it. They all knelt like that for 5 long minutes. Then as if with one mind they all reached out to the stones. Just as their fingers brushed against them, the stones seemed to shiver.

Suddenly they leaped up and burrowed into their wrists. The children began to scream and to claw at their skin. James was the first to faint, then Madison, Matthew, Henry. Kim was last and she could have sworn she had just seen a large black ship race across the sky.

…. James was awake 20 minutes later, but his eyes never opened as he walked away. He was not really awake. The same happened to the others. Kim kept her eyes closed the whole way home, even when riding her bike and climbing back up to her balcony. She changed into pajamas with her eyes closed and washed her face with her eyes closed. When she would wake in the morning she would not remember what had happened that night. She wouldn't remember why her ankle was swelling like a balloon or nor would she remember the other 4 children she had met with. It would be the same with them too. They would not remember… because the stones did not want them to.

Charlie screamed in pain as he regained consciousness in the burning car. In blind fear, the adrenaline pumping through his system, he kicked out his window and jumped. He crawled away and collapsed in the ocean water. His skin was on fire and the water hissed on contact. His arm was broken.

Sarah. Charlie crawled around, his arm dragging uselessly by his side, and stared at the burning skeleton of his car.

"Sarah!", he screamed. He stumbled blindly toward the car, the heat from the flames burning his skin again. He couldn't see her. He went to the passenger side, but that was when the second explosion hit. A large cloud of fire knocked him off his feet and slammed him against the cliff wall. His leg broke when he hit the ground. As his vision slowly darkened he stared at the wreck.

"Sarah…" Then his world turned black.