Chapter 3
Hey guys...I'M SORRY FOR DROPPING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH AND ABANDONING YOU GUYS! I just thought this story was horrible. But then I got so many nice messages and reviews about how good people thought it was and people requesting more chapters. So I guess I'm continuing (: But I decided to change the order. I want to make this a story about Joe and Alice ultimately, so the new order will be: Preston + Martin, Cary (Yes, I know, I love him too and I apologize sincerely), Charles, Alice, Joe. Enjoy (:
Updated flashback:
"We have to go find Preston and Martin!" is what Charles said as he reacted to the horrible news. "Now, let's go! They're first, aren't they?"
Joe POV
Charles and I ran out the door to his house and down the driveway. We hopped on our bikes and split up. Charles went to Preston's house and I went to Martin's house. We didn't know who would be first so we decided to protect them equally.
As I turned the corner onto Martin's street, I saw him outside reading a very large book.
"Martin!" I called to him. He looked up from his book and slipped a bookmark inside.
"What's up?" He asked as I got closer.
"Go! Get inside! NOW!" I said as I dropped my bike on the lawn and hurried him inside.
Martin didn't object he just followed me inside. He led me into the kitchen and I sat down on one of the stools by the counter. His mother was baking cookies.
"You want anything to drink dear?" His mother asked. "Pop, milk, water, juice?" (Author's note: I do not refer to it as pop, but I'm not sure if they do or not.)
"No, no. I'm fine, thank you." I replied.
"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about? You sounded a bit worried when you got here." Martin asked. He eyed his mom and she left the room.
"Well, remember when we were at the train station? When I got everyone out of there before the train exploded?" Martin nodded. "Well...I asked my Dad and he said Deputy Crawford's dad experienced something like what happened to me once."
Regular 3rd Person
"He called it a premonition." Charles explained to Preston.
Charles and Preston were out in Preston's backyard. Preston's dad was mowing the lawn while the boys sat on the lawn chairs behind the built-in pool.
"I see." Preston said as he tried to digest all the new information. "But what does that mean for us?"
"It means that we're going to be picked off one by one." Joe explained to Martin back in the kitchen. "That we're all going to die."
Martin felt faint as he walked around the kitchen to he sat down in the chair on the other side of the counter in front of the oven.
"Is it going to hurt?" Martin asked.
"Most likely, yes." Joe said in a calm manner but also extremely scarred himself. The boys did not make eye contact, but instead kept their eyes locked on the countertop, not fully present mentally.
"And you're telling me now because I'm first?" Preston asked Charles.
Charles nodded. "I'm sorry, bud."
Preston's dad could not hear the boys as he mowed the lawn. The mower was too loud. Up ahead of his route, he neared in on something...something long and sharp.
And the flame in the oven in the kitchen suddenly grew stronger.
"What do I tell my parents? My brother?" Martin asked.
"I wouldn't tell them anything just yet, honestly. We should make out like we don't know anything." Joe said. "They might take it better that way."
"Ya. Ya, maybe." Preston said.
Preston's father started to close in on the object, but he was oblivious to it, though.
"It's just...I don't think I'm ready to die. I like my life. I love my family and I love you guys." Preston said as he started crying. Charles, though a bit uncomfortable with the tears, pulled preston in for a hug.
"I know man, but there's no way around it. The angel of death is after us. All of us." Joe told Martin in the same hugging position. Both of them began to smell something burning.
"The cookies are burning, dude." Joe said. "But I wouldn't deal with it, actually. Something might happen."
"No, no. It's fine. I don't think death is hungry yet. We were just out last night watching the crash. I'll get it." Martin said as he started to step off the stool.
"It's okay. We'll be there soon I guess. The rest of us. And Alice." Charles told Preston. "So don't worry about us."
"I guess." Preston said.
The lawn mower closed in on the object and before Preston's dad knew it, he ran over it and it spit out on the other end of the mower. It flew through the air right at Preston.
"I'll just turn it off for mom." Martin said as his foot touched the ground as he got off the stool.
Just then, the flame became unbearably large and exploded. It shattered the glasses of the oven door and dispersed throughout the kitchen and onto Martin.
"Martin!" Joe yelled.
"Preston!" Charles screamed.
Preston's father heard Charles's scream. He shut off the mower and ran to the boys. "Oh my-"
"-GOD!" Martin's mother screamed as she came into the kitchen and saw Martin on the ground. Joe had stopped the flames with several cups of water from the sink, having no fire extinguisher. Martin was covered in burns and he struggled to breath.
"Martin!" His mother yelled through tears. Joe was crying as well.
Martin continuously tried to gasp for air.
"Call 911, Joe! NOW!" Martin's mother ordered him.
"Yes, sir!" Charles said as he ran inside the house and dialed 911 for Preston.
"My friend is hurt! There's a screwdriver in his head!" Charles said in a panicked tone and told the person on the other end Preston's address. "Hurry! Please!"
