THE SKY IS FALLING
Max woke up to the sound of thunder. His eyes drifted to the window, seeing the heavy rainfall. He got out of bed and walked towards the window. He placed his hand on the cool glass. He watched the raindrops race to the bottom. A bright bolt of lightning illuminated the sky for a moment. Max waited to hear the clap of thunder. He heard nothing.
*
"Looks like it's going to rain again," Liz said to Max as he sat down at the counter in the Crashdown. "I mean, we got a huge storm last night, you know?"
Max simply nodded.
"Are you okay, Max?" Liz asked. She stopped wiping down the counter and gently placed her hand over his. She was trying at least. It was going to take some time, but everything would be like it was…before Tess came to town, before Alex died.
He squeezed her hand and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine." He looked around the restaurant. "Have you seen Isabel or Michael?"
"They just walked in," she said.
Isabel and Michael joined them at the counter. Isabel gave Liz a small smile, but her solemn eyes told another story.
"Are you coming in today, Michael?" Liz said with a wink.
He shrugged. "If I feel like it."
Suddenly, someone grabbed his shoulder. "I expect you in your apron tonight, Mr. Guerin," Mr. Parker said sternly before going inside the kitchen.
Michael sighed. "Well, I guess I'm coming in."
"Don't you have to be at work soon, Max?" Isabel said.
He checked the clock on the wall and got up from his seat. "Yeah. I'll see you guys later."
"Wait, Max," Liz said before he could leave.
He looked back at her.
"Nevermind," she said softly.
*
Brody had left the UFO Center early tonight, leaving it in Max's care. Max sat in the office, filing papers. His thoughts were scattered. One moment he was thinking of Liz, the other of Tess, and then he thought of his math test, and then he wondered how much those guys who dressed up as Mickey Mouse and Goofy at Disneyland got paid, and then it started all over again. He slammed the filing cabinet shut, frustrated that he couldn't concentrated. He left the office and stepped out into the hallway, passing by a storage room. He heard something inside. Max paused outside the door and leaned closer to listen. He heard it again. Something was differently moving in there. He slowly opened the door. At first, he didn't see anything. It was dark and he could make out the outline of some boxes. Then, he saw something. A hand holding a large jar, slamming it on top of his head.
Max woke up to the sound of thunder. His eyes drifted to the window, seeing the heavy rainfall. He got out of bed and walked towards the window. He placed his hand on the cool glass. He watched the raindrops race to the bottom. A bright bolt of lightning illuminated the sky for a moment. Max waited to hear the clap of thunder. He heard nothing.
*
"Looks like it's going to rain again," Liz said to Max as he sat down at the counter in the Crashdown. "I mean, we got a huge storm last night, you know?"
Max simply nodded.
"Are you okay, Max?" Liz asked. She stopped wiping down the counter and gently placed her hand over his. She was trying at least. It was going to take some time, but everything would be like it was…before Tess came to town, before Alex died.
He squeezed her hand and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine." He looked around the restaurant. "Have you seen Isabel or Michael?"
"They just walked in," she said.
Isabel and Michael joined them at the counter. Isabel gave Liz a small smile, but her solemn eyes told another story.
"Are you coming in today, Michael?" Liz said with a wink.
He shrugged. "If I feel like it."
Suddenly, someone grabbed his shoulder. "I expect you in your apron tonight, Mr. Guerin," Mr. Parker said sternly before going inside the kitchen.
Michael sighed. "Well, I guess I'm coming in."
"Don't you have to be at work soon, Max?" Isabel said.
He checked the clock on the wall and got up from his seat. "Yeah. I'll see you guys later."
"Wait, Max," Liz said before he could leave.
He looked back at her.
"Nevermind," she said softly.
*
Brody had left the UFO Center early tonight, leaving it in Max's care. Max sat in the office, filing papers. His thoughts were scattered. One moment he was thinking of Liz, the other of Tess, and then he thought of his math test, and then he wondered how much those guys who dressed up as Mickey Mouse and Goofy at Disneyland got paid, and then it started all over again. He slammed the filing cabinet shut, frustrated that he couldn't concentrated. He left the office and stepped out into the hallway, passing by a storage room. He heard something inside. Max paused outside the door and leaned closer to listen. He heard it again. Something was differently moving in there. He slowly opened the door. At first, he didn't see anything. It was dark and he could make out the outline of some boxes. Then, he saw something. A hand holding a large jar, slamming it on top of his head.