Chapter 7: Morning of the Storm
Disclaimer: read prologue
A red truck sped through the desert trail but then slowed down when the driver spotted a massive circle on the ground. He had been traveling this trail for a long time, and he had never seen a masterpiece like this.
Curiosity took hold as the man drove to that spot to check it out. He got out of his car and walked up to the hill of the circle then down. He walked to the center and saw something stuck on a sandy rock. He inspected it to see a hammer, the Mjolner.
The driver took his arm and attempted to pull the hammer, but it didn't budge. He tried to use both hands, while he pushed his boot against the rock, it still didn't work. No matter how hard he tried to pull the hammer out, it refused to be pulled.
The driver panted for breath, staring at the Mjolner in disbelief. Why's the hammer not coming out? How much did it weigh? The driver huffed in frustration with his hands on his hips, not having a clue.
~000~000~000~
"Oh, my God!" Kelsey tried to leap off the table, but wind up falling and landing on her butt instead. She sat up and noticed her casual clothes. She didn't remember putting these clothes on before bed. That's not what freaked her out. Her anxiety kicked in when she saw bloodstains.
Her heart was beating so loud; she could hear it go crazy against her chest. Her blood was pounding against ears. Her breathing quickened, she was hyperventilating. Tears were falling from her eyes.
Kelsey knew something happened to her but couldn't remember. She knew that this place wasn't a hospital. An IV should've been inserted in her arm (she'd known because she had it when her tonsils were removed, ten years ago), and she should've woke up wearing a hospital gown not bloody clothes.
Something happened to her. She wasn't in a hospital. She wasn't at the house. No. She assumed she was at the higher place, the place of paradise, the House of God. She must be in heaven.
"I'm dead. I'm dead!" Kelsey repeated the words as she pulled herself up on her feet. Confusion took over Kelsey. She died. She should be happy that she was in the most beautiful place in the universe, but she didn't know how or why she died.
Once she was up on her feet, she suddenly felt light-headed and dizzy. She winced, holding onto her head with both hands and her eyes closed, hoping that the dizziness would go away. She thought that heaven was supposed to be pain-free. She wasn't worried about that right now. At this moment, she wanted answers. When she felt the pressure on her head pass, Kelsey opened her eyes and walked quickly to the large, double doors before she banged on them.
"Hello! Hey! Can anybody hear me?! Hello?! Hello?!"
"Young lady!" a voice echoed in the room.
Kelsey moved away from the door and looked upon the ceiling in confusion.
"Young lady!" the voice repeated.
She assumed that it was a certain someone who's speaking to her.
"Yes!" she cried. "Yes, God! I can hear you! Where are you?!"
"In here!"
"I can hear you, but I can't see you," Kelsey whirled around with her eyes on the ceiling.
"For goodness sakes, child, turn around! I am lying on a healing table!"
Kelsey turned around, ready to kneel before the King of Kings. Instead, she saw a blonde man with a mustache curled upward and a beard, reminding Kelsey of Cary Elwes' Robin Hood. He was lying on a table, propped his elbows on the table so he could greet the girl face-to-face.
"Good day, young lady," Fandral greeted her with a smile.
Kelsey was silent in confusion. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes narrowed at the warrior questionably.
She pointed at him, "Are you God?"
Fandral scrunched his eyebrows at her, confused by her question, "Well, my dear, I am a god." He used his strength to lift his arm to shake the teenager's hand, "Fandral, warrior and protector of Asgard."
Kelsey still kept a confused look on her face, lowering her hand back to her side, "How disappointing."
Fandral was taken back and felt a little self-conscious by her response. No woman had ever resisted his charm, but this one didn't even smile at him.
I want answers!" Kelsey's blood pressure was rising, "Tell me. Where are we?!"
Again, Fandral was speechless. She's direct, not wanting to have a pleasant conversation. Although she's from Midguard and confused, he understood that.
"Um... you're in the healing room, my dear," Fandral responded. "Now, could you tell me your-"
"Healing room?" Kelsey questioned him.
Fandral nodded, "Yes, my dear. Now about your na-"
"Where is that?" Kelsey wanted to be sure before she jumped into conclusions. Maybe she wasn't dead. Perhaps she was in a mental hospital. The man with a mustache called it a healing room. It's the same thing as a hospital, right? She hoped.
"Is it outside of Puente Antiguo?" Kelsey asked worriedly, "Where is my aunt? Did she bring me here?!"
Fandral was confused by the girl's questions, but he answered her anyway, knowing her name would have to wait, "Young lady, we're not in a place, you call Puente Antiguo. I know nothing about your aunt."
Fear was taking over her body, her pulse was racing, her head was pounding, and her stomach was churning. She's about to be sick at any moment, literally.
"Then, where on earth are we?" she asked in a whisper.
"You're not in the realm you call Earth."
That statement pushed Kelsey over the edge. Fear, anxious, angry, Kelsey honestly didn't know what to feel. She didn't process this revelation; she reacted.
"I died?!" Kelsey screamed out. It was true. She's in the afterlife. She's dead, and this mustache man was an angel. "I freakin' died?!"
Fandral widened his eyes and jumped unwillingly by her outburst. He attempted to calm her, "Maiden, please let me explain-"
"How could this happen?! I was asleep, and now I wake up dead?!"
The last thing she remembered was sleeping on her bed, but now her soul was in heaven. Did she have a heart attack? Did she stop breathing? There was a possibility that she had died in her sleep, which was the most peaceful to die. Her grandmother died in her sleep at the hospital when she had that stroke. She was at peace.
"Young lady-"
"You said, 'I died'! How did I die?!" Kelsey demanded angrily and fearfully. She wanted answers. She tried to talk to God, hoping he'll tell her everything. Do people clean their wounds in the healing room before entering the House of God? She thought when she got to heaven; there were no more wounds, no more pain, no more anxiety. She was suffering both. She was confused and mostly scared, but she knew she shouldn't be.
According to Isaiah 41:10 in the Bible, it said: "Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; surely, I will help you. Surely, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
Where was the Lord and Savoir? If she was in Heaven, should God be there to help her? She shouldn't be afraid, but she's always scared of the unknown. How did Kelsey die? Why did she die? Will she see her parents and grandmother soon?
"I asked you a question!" Kelsey demanded.
"Madame, please calm yourself-"
"Calm down?! I just found out I died, and you're telling me to calm down?! What kind of angel are you?!"
Fandral smiled a bit at the last part she said, "You think I'm an angel?"
When the man didn't respond right away, Kelsey grabbed the collar of his robes and pulled him roughly towards her. Fandral didn't miss the aggressive look in her eyes, surprised by her rash actions.
"What are you doing?!" Fandral demanded.
"I don't know who the heck you are, or what you are! I asked you a question, and you're worried about your own freaking self! I want to know is how I died! How did I die, huh?! Why is it happening to me? Me?! Ah!"
A sheering pain pounded inside her skull. Kelsey released Fandral's robes and held onto her head with both hands, crying out in intense pain. Her head was pounding, feeling like her head squeezed tightly. Kelsey had no idea which one was worse: this or experiencing the aftermath of wisdom teeth extraction.
During her time of wisdom teeth, she was sleepy and numb from all the drugs she was provided; then the numbness eventually wore off, turning into swelling pain, worse when she started eating — the worst time of her life. The throbbing in her head was under consideration of the worst or the second-worst pain she felt.
Kelsey fell onto her knees while holding her head and crying in torture.
"My dear, are you alright?" Fandral asked worriedly.
Kelsey didn't respond to his stupid question. All she thought about was the pain, praying to the Lord to put his healing hand on her. Kelsey didn't realize at first that she was lying on the ground, then everything slowly turned black in Kelsey's eyes.
~000~000~000~
It was an early Saturday morning back at Earth. It was warm on the outside, but freezing inside a certain glasshouse. Garrett and Darcy stayed up half of the night, waiting for Jane and Erik's return with Kelsey, but they eventually crashed onto the couch in the living room.
Darcy was sleeping on one side, while Garrett slept on the other. Even though they were asleep, they were tugging the single blanket back and forth, craving the furry warmth of the quilt.
Garrett woke up with the sound of a hissing teapot and water running. He groaned and blinked opened, yawning as he sat up and stretched his arms in the air. His senses perked up, and his stomach growled when the scent of coffee entered his nose. He turned his head to the direction of the kitchen, tapping Darcy in the process.
"Darcy," Garrett whispered.
Darcy snorted and turned her body on her side.
Garrett tapped Darcy harder, "Darcy."
Darcy slapped his hand away from her, "Go away."
Garret sighed in irritation, before tapping her constantly, waking her up. She sat up and stared at him with tired eyes. From the look of her menacing face, he can tell that she hated the wake-up calls.
"What the hell do you want?" Darcy demanded in a growl.
"Someone is at the kitchen," Garrett explained.
"Yeah, so?" Darcy groaned, lying back down.
"Hello? Do you remember what happened last night?"
"Yeah," Darcy moaned tiredly, planning to fall back asleep.
"Darcy!" Garrett hissed at her, tapping her again.
"What?!" Darcy demanded with irritation.
"Kelsey. Erik and Jane are searching for her. We're waiting for them. Remember?!"
It took a while for Darcy to process her motionless mind. She closed her eyes, and the memories from last night came back slowly. Every memory of last night appeared in front of Darcy's eyes. Her heart was racing faster and faster, waking her more in the process.
"Darcy - Whoa!" Before Garrett had a chance to get up, Darcy leaped out of the couch, pushing Garrett off of her in the process. Wide awake Darcy rushed toward the kitchen, and Garrett followed while limping with his now bruised tailbone. Every step he took, he whimpered in pain and the coldness from the floor.
Darcy stopped her tracks when she and Garrett spotted a familiar doctor brewing himself a cup of coffee. He sighed happily at the liquid sight. Before it could reach to his lips...
"Erik!"
Erik jumped in shock and cried in pain when the coffee spilled on his front. His mouth went wide opened and let out silent curses, feeling the burn from the dark liquid.
"Erik! I'm sorry about that, Man." Garrett tore up a couple of paper towels and rushed to the doctor's side, wiping the stain on Erik's shirt.
"Give me that!" Erik snapped, snatching the paper towels from Garret, wiping the stain himself, but the burning pain was still there.
"Hey, Erik," Darcy called for him.
Erik turned around to face the girl, only to get sprayed by cold water, dousing his heated skin. Erik breathed out a couple of times, feeling the cold relieving the burn.
"You alright, Dude?" Garrett asked Erik.
Erik glared at him as if he asked something dumb. He just spilled a hot coffee on himself, earning a first or second-degree burn on his skin, and now he's drenched in cold water. Of course, he's not alright.
Erik pressed his lips together, holding back a snarky comment, then made a false smile instead, "Just peachy, Garrett. Just peachy." He looked at both of them curiously, "What are you two doing up?"
Now it was the young adults' turn to glare at him as if he asked a stupid question.
"Hello?!" Darcy demanded, "Is Kelsey here?!"
Erik shushed them harshly, placing a finger on his lips, telling them to be quiet, "Keep your voice down."
"Why?" Garrett asked.
"Because Jane is asleep." Erik explained in a whisper, "We just got home."
"Where is Kelsey?" Darcy asked.
Erik sighed and lowered his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. Garrett and Darcy knew that it wasn't a good sign. The meant that Darcy and Garrett had to get along longer than they wanted. They were hoping that Kelsey was here, so they could get back to hating each other again.
"Damn it," Garrett cursed quietly. "How is Jane doing?"
Erik shook his head, placing his empty coffee mug on the counter, "Not good. We've been up, searching for her all night, and met a dead end."
"So she's still missing?" Darcy asked.
"Apparently."
Darcy and Garrett groaned in unison. Now they were getting worried. Whatever happened to Kelsey, the storm had something to do with it. If they had chosen to stay away from that dangerous storm, Kelsey wouldn't be missing at all. She should've been here, snoring in bed.
"Is AJ asleep?" Erik asked.
"He's been sleeping like a baby," Darcy responded proudly.
"Good... How's he holding up?"
"Fine," Garret replied, "The little squirt has faith that Kelsey will come home."
"That's what we all should do... Have faith..."
There was an awkward silence until a growl echoed in the room.
Erik furrowed his brows at Garret, "Is that you, Garrett?"
Darcy raised her hand, "Actually. That's my stomach. I'm starving."
"Me too." For the first time, Garrett and Darcy agreed on something that had nothing to do with Kelsey.
Erik nodded, "Well, luckily, there's a diner nearby. We could grab a bite to eat there. I'm sure we could all use a breather."
Darcy and Garrett nodded in agreement and left the kitchen to put on their shoes, then exited the glasshouse with Erik.
~000~000~000~
Thor woke in the hospital with a bright light shining on his face. He realized that everything that happened wasn't a dream.
He remembered, meeting a few pathetic mortals, and one them used a weapon against him. How dare she attack the Son of Odin?! How dare the mortals laid their hands on him? Don't they all know how he was?! They all needed to be severely punished.
Thor tried to get up, but couldn't move. He looked down to see his wrists and legs restrained against the hospital bed. Without his super godly strength, Thor couldn't break through his imprisonment. He growled in frustration. He's stuck.
"Impossible," Thor muttered.
Now how was he getting out of here?
~000~000~000~
Jane was on her computer and notes, trying to figure out how about the storm from last night. Her eyes contained baggy, dark circles around them. She was up all night to find her niece without a break, but somehow she fell asleep and woke up in her bed. Maybe Erik had something to do with that. There was no time to sleep and eat. Her niece was missing, and it's all her fault. She vowed not to rest until Kelsey was found.
Jane was looking at the video and photos from the crazy storm last night. She figured the event had a connection with Kelsey's disappearance. If she tried to put the pieces together, maybe it'll lead her to Kelsey. But what was Jane missing, other than her niece? What wasn't Jane seeing?
She continued analyzing the photos and didn't notice faint footsteps coming her way.
"Jane," the voice of a tired little boy caught Jane's attention. She looked over her shoulder to see her nephew, who looked like he just woke up. As much as she wanted to continue working, she still had another child to take care of. She turned her chair around to face the boy in his Iron Man pajamas.
"Hey there, AJ," Jane greeted him with a forced smile. "Did I wake you?"
AJ shook his head and yawned unwillingly, "Did you find Kelsey?"
Jane's smile fell, and tears were welling up in her eyes. She blinked them away, shaking her head. She forced herself not to cry. Jane's a grown woman. She needed to be strong for her nephew.
"No," Jane answered sadly, "I didn't."
AJ's head lowered, "Oh."
"I know this is hard, but I promise you I'll do everything I can - no matter the cost to find her."
AJ nodded, "I know..." AJ looked over at Jane's desk to see pictures of the night sky and the storm, Jane and Erik managed to take, "Can I help?"
Jane looked at AJ, then at her pictures, then back at her nephew. "Um..." she paused for a moment, then spoke with hesitation, "Yes... You can help by staying here... close to me. It's bad enough to lose one child, and I don't want to find two."
"I'm serious, Jane!" AJ squealed, "Can I help you look for something - something that you might've missed?"
"I appreciate that, AJ, but I don't want you to mess or touch anything."
AJ sighed, hating that he wasn't allowed to do something grown-ups could do. Then, he remembered something that could help Jane. He went back to his room to get it, while Jane was looking at something from her computer. She was zooming in on an image of the twister.
A few moments later, AJ returned with a digital camera in his hands.
"Jane?"
Jane sighed, "Hold on, AJ. Give me a minute."
"But Jane, this is important!" AJ insisted.
"I said hold on, AJ. I need to focus on this," Jane said in a motherly-warning tone. AJ was pushing her buttons. The last thing she wanted was interruptions.
"But Jane-"
"AJ!" Jane snapped, "Not right now. Why don't you go play your Nintendo or something?"
"Jane, listen to me!" AJ waved his camera in the air like a flag, hoping that gained Jane's attention, "It's about last night! You should see this! It's important!"
Jane sighed in irritation, looking at AJ's way for a moment, before giving the camera a second glance with interest. Her eyebrows furrowed when she took the camera from AJ to get a better look. She's looking at an image of a circular pattern on the desert ground.
This design caught Jane's interest.
"What is this?" she asked in a breathless whisper. "Where did you find this? Online?"
AJ shook his head, "No, from last night. While you guys were paying attention to the Hulk, I saw what we were standing on. I managed to get a picture of it. Is it normal for twisters to leave a mark like that?"
Jane didn't answer his question; instead, she asked a question of her own, "AJ, do you realize what this means?"
AJ shrugged, silently shaking his head. Jane returned her attention to her computer and clicked on the image of the twister to appear on her screen.
"It means... that this storm right here... It isn't a normal twister at all; it's not even a magnetic storm... This is different."
AJ still didn't understand, but he was glad that he'd done something to help Jane. He hoped that they're one step closer to finding her sister.
~000~000~000~
Heimdall was staring into the cosmos, with the sword in his hand, not moving a muscle. He didn't have to turn around to know who was coming in the dome; he didn't have to read the visitor's mind to understand what he's doing here.
"Anything informative about that girl?" the raven-haired god demanded as he entered the dome.
"I knew that you would come here to ask me that question," Heimdall said, not looking away from the starry cosmos. "Aren't you going to ask about your brother?"
"Answer the question," Loki demanded.
Heimdall was silent until he turned away to face the emotionless prince. "Her name is Kelsey Roberts. She lives a place in Midguard called Puente Antiguo." Loki stared down at Heimdall, taking in the information he was given.
"The Bi-Frost transported Thor to her hometown, currently under the care of healers in Midguard. The girl's companions took him there. From what I see now is that one of Kelsey's companions, a young woman, is destined to find the girl."
"Yes, I am sure the woman is worried-sick about her, but I am afraid she cannot see the girl anytime soon."
"You could at least let them know the girl is safe," Heimdall suggested. "Maybe you can give Thor support, despite his banishment-"
Loki scoffed, "The last thing I want to give Thor is a boost for his ego. If that is all you have to share, I shall be on my way." Loki turned away from the Gatekeeper.
"I'm surprised you have not faced the woman again."
Loki halted and faced the guardian again, "You have the gift to see everything, do you not?"
"Yes, your highness."
"Then you should know that I already faced the girl. She's sleeping peacefully."
"Not anymore." Heimdall statement.
Loki froze, his facial expression wrinkled the smooth skin.
"I beg your pardon?"
"The girl... has awakened."
Loki widened his eyes in shock.
"But I must warn you. She is not taking the knowledge of her current state..." Heimdall didn't finish his sentence, knowing that Loki had already left the dome. Heimdall fulfilled his purpose by providing information about the girl to Loki. He cleared his throat and returned to his duties as Gatekeeper.
~000~000~000~
Kelsey groaned, not in pain but exhaustion. She couldn't get over a weird dream, she had. She thought she died and went to heaven, then met an angel with a mustache.
She thanked God that she wasn't dead. Heaven was the most beautiful place, and part of her family was there, but she wasn't ready to go there yet.
It's a Friday (in her opinion), and she needed to get up for school. She was expecting Jane to give her the usual wake up call, but nothing came. Maybe Jane was tied up at the moment. Kelsey's mind was currently yelling at her to wake.
"Okay, it's time to get up."
Kelsey opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times, knowing right away that she wasn't in her room. She was in a different bedroom that had the colors of red and gold.
Did something happen while she was asleep? Kelsey was confused. Her thoughts were interrupted by the muffled voices of women. She tried to understand what they're saying, but her ears couldn't pick up the words.
The voices died down and changed into footsteps instead. She can hear them becoming louder and closer.
A faint voice of an angel caught Kelsey's attention. She turned her head to the side to see an older woman dressed in a white renaissance-like fashion. This woman looked familiar in Kelsey's eyes. What she didn't know that the woman was more than just an angel, she was Frigga, Queen of Asgard.
Frigga greeted Kelsey with a loving smile, "Welcome, my dear child."
Kelsey wasn't thinking straight. All she knew that she wasn't at home. She wasn't in earth anymore. She didn't know about that right now, all she knew that this woman, Frigga, reminded Kelsey of someone she knew well and missed dearly.
"Granny?" Kelsey asked herself with joy.
