Storm Warning!

(Chapter One)

*Our World *

I was heading to my car after a long day of work at the history museum,where I intern to earn college credits to get my Archaeology degree. Once I achieve this the curator of the museum I work for has already promised to hire me on, so I can actually begin field work. He's even gone as far as to compliment me, by saying that with how bright and enthusiastic I am; I may even win myself a teaching job in my field in two years or so. That's really very quick for someone my age. So here I am lost in these happy thoughts...

"Hey Beck!" I heard Kyle's voice call out my name.

"What?" I asked with a laugh in my voice twirling around toward him.

" You down for coming with me, tonight?" Kyle asked catching up with me.

"I don't know, Kyle." I hedged.

Kyle is one of my dearest friends; I'd do just about anything for him, I've known him since second grade, he's also gay so him and I going out has never been an issue. Kyle is also a storm chaser and for the past two months he's been bugging me to join him on a chase. I've been putting him off as long as I possibly can, but I've got a feeling that I may actually have to go this time. I'm really hoping I can come up with a good excuse, I'm not a real big fan of storms; they kinda give me the creeps.

"Awww, come on Beck! You've been putting me off for the past two months. I really want you to see what its all about, then you wouldn't get so creeped out by them." Kyle complained.

"Look Kyle, I know you mean well, but I really don't think chasing a storm with you is really going to help me get over the creeps about them." I replied opting for honesty instead of another excuse as per usual.

"Just give it a try Beck," Kyle begged, "I will be with you the entire time."

"Okay! Kyle, but only on the condition that I get to grab a few things first." I stipulated finally giving in to what he wanted me to do, like I said I'd do just about anything for him.

1

"Awesome! No problem Beck, whatever you want; you'll see this will be great! You'll be so busy being excited, you won't have anytime to be creeped out or freaked!" Kyle asserted enthusiastically pumping his arm.

I quickly squirreled home, put on a change of clothes, and packed my designer zebra print laptop bag with; my laptop, my I Pad, my Blackberry, my touch I Pod + headphones, the chargers to all this junk, a carton of cigarettes + two extra refillable lighters, and my external hard drive with cord. I'm not sure why I wanted all this crap, but I did. So, I packed it along with my purse and all its contents.

I met up with Kyle in my driveway, he had insisted on picking me up, I guess he was worried I'd ditch at the last moment if allowed to use my own car and truthfully, if I'd thought I could have gotten away with it I would've. Like I mentioned before storms give me the creeps.

Kyle eyed my bag and raised an eyebrow at me, he then asked, "Sure ya don't wanna take the kitchen sink ta tie yourself down as well, Beck?"

Smart Ass!

We met up with Kyle's team at Thatcher's Field, which is really just a big empty field. In the Spring and Summer it's covered with flowers and weeds; there are heath blossoms too, but the county has been trying to get those cleared.

I don't think they will ever manage it though, what with the petition and all.

Thatcher's Field is set to be a historical landmark, that is if the petition goes through.

See at one time Thatcher's Field was the site where Ezra Thatcher, his wife Winifred, and their three boys used to live. Ezra Thatcher was the founding citizen of Black Falls, the town here in Maine; I live in.

The historical story goes the about thirty years after the town was founded and folks had begun to build lives here; Winnie Thatcher, that's Ezra's wife remember, lost her mind and killed her entire family, except for one.

It happened at the annual fall family function the Thatchers held, to try to keep the family close, every year. The Thatcher Boys were all grown and had families of their own by this time, it was the eldest Thatcher son's, James, youngest daughter, a little girl named Sophia who escaped her grandmother's massacre though how she escaped has faded into local legend.

When this little girl, Sophia, was a grown woman she had the land cleared.

To be honest I would too. I sure as hell wouldn't want a giant reminder of the worst day of my life up and standing for everyone along with their dogs to see.

So now the place is simply known as Thatcher's Field; local folklore has it that the field is haunted every year on the anniversary of the massacre by the Thatcher Family all trying to escape Winnie Thatcher's murderous rage and always failing. The local folklore also goes that if anyone is in Thatcher's Field on this night they too become victims of Winifred Thatcher.

It's become really popular for the local kids and college borders to come here and scare friends or dates.

But I digress, as I said before we met up with Kyle's team at Thatcher's Field. Kyle's team consisted of Luke Bishop; self-styled Blood-hound, Storm Tracker, Eva Long; Meteorologist, and Jesse Thorn; Systems Operator. Kyle is the head weather scientist and the lead. Everyone of the team helps out with set-up, packing up, unpacking, and clean-up.

"Hey Beck! Ky finally gotcha out here with us, huh?" Jesse greeted.

"Hey Jesse, yea looks that way." I returned.

"Awesome!" Jesse asserted, echoing Kyle's sentiment from earlier in the evening.

"So exactly what kind of storm are you guys expecting to find in Maine, of all places, at this time of year?" I asked as we were getting loaded up to go.

"Nothing major Beck, don't worry. There is a light show on the horizon tonight, with a good wind resist that will make a good guest-a-long storm study." Eva said trying to reassure me.

"Light show?" I asked feeling a little nervous.

I did not like the sound of this!

"In English, Jesse chuckled, it translates into your basic Lightening Storm with high wind resistance."

"Oh. I replied, thanks, Jesse."

Gee that makes me feel so much better, NOT!

I hate lighting!

I knew I didn't like the sound of this!

"No problem-o, babe." Jesse returned.

"Don't call her "babe"! She is not a pig and its a sexist thing to say!" Eva snapped at Jesse.

"It's fine, Eva. I've been called worse." I said stepping into rescue Jesse and to head off a squabble.

Luke shook his head, smiled at me, and said "C' mon Becky-Girl, you can ride with me."

"Oh, Joy!" I volleyed at him being sarcastic.

Luke let out a loud, huge laugh and opened the passenger side door of his truck for me.

"Thanks." I said acknowledging the gesture.

"Always." he replied with a wolf grin.

Luke got into the truck, fired her up, and off we went to the designated site for the storm, which pretty much meant that we would get right in the middle of it all, "at the heart of the action" as Kyle likes to say.

"So, where exactly is the site that we are observing the lightening storm at?" I asked Luke, as the truck ambled and bounced along.

"The Black Falls themselves, sweetheart." Luke replied with yet another wolf grin.

Oh, greeaaat, water plus lightening, what a wonderful combination.

"Is that a wise idea, considering?" I inquired with more than a little tension in my voice.

"Long as we're careful about it, we should be fine darlin', no need to worry." Luke responded.

Careful? Kyle and his crew, including Mr. Luke Bishop here, don't have the slightest idea what careful is! They chase storms, for heavens sake!

Despite all the bouncing, trouncing, and flirting going on in Luke's truck we made it to the site in one piece, everything except for my courage; which was beginning to heavily and rapidly falter.

After parking the "rigs" Luke and the others helped Kyle set-up; I offered to help, but got shot down. Probably because I don't know the first thing about their equipment, so I didn't take offense.

With everything set-up and ready to go Kyle, his crew, and I settled in for the "light show".

Needless to say I sat in Eva's van in the clearing.

Have I mentioned that I'm not a fan of lightening?

All too soon the lightening storm was under way. The wind resistance began to kick up about half an hour after the lightening storm had started. Unfortunately around fifteen minutes or so after the wind started, the equipment started to fly and get knocked over.

Eva threw open the door to the van and rushed to help the guys save the equipment. I sat there dumb for about half a minute and then rushed to help.

"Beck, get back to the van!" Kyle yelled at me.

"The equipment!" I yelled back.

"Be careful, Beck!" I heard Jesse's voice call on the wind.

One of the "radar thingies" had made it's way, thanks to the help of the wind, to the edge of Black Falls Pool.

I ran to stop it from falling in.

The next thing I heard was "Crack" "Crash". I screamed at the "Flash" of lightening right behind me and the sound of it hitting the tree, also right behind me.

A moment later the branch fell, as it knocked me into Black Falls Pool. The last thing I heard was...

"BECK!"