Glory's mother sat home still too shocked from the events as of late to
move. The TV pale blue glow lit up her darkening living room and her
coffee from the morning had gone cold hours ago. As if it only sunk in now
that her daughter had left she muttered out the word, "Glory."
"Lee, this is it! The world is about the change!" she said as she stomped out of the car toward the ridge with the droves of people on it. Lee kept up with her pace, but didn't seem to eager.
She fiddled with the strap of the camcorder around her neck and then held the camera in her palm, all if it looking so natural to her. Before she even saw what was just over the ridge she hit record and pushed her way through the crowd. All the excitement and anticipation, all of the people, all of the news coverage couldn't prepare her for what was just a few solid steps away.
The rim of the ridge soon cleared and the four giant circles and random geometric shapes came into view. Her hand went limp and the camcorder fell to her side as far as the strap would let it. "Lee," she muttered almost incoherently. Lee came through the crowd, which was already angry at her shoving through, a few moments after her and stood behind her. He too, could think of no other words to explain his emotions.
Glory reached back until she felt him fingers encircle her hand. "I'm here," he said, as though those two words would comfort her.
As if this moment of silence wasn't tense enough already, they overheard a person from the crowd behind them. "Look at those lights. They certainly aren't stars. I have lived here for 15 years and would know if stars were right there." Her voice trailed off as each of them turned their heads off toward Bakersfield. Twelve little lights flickered in the distance.
Lee put his arms around Glory and held her close. The look on her face had changed dramatically. The eager little reporter she once was was now replaced with the frightened and inexperienced film student she truly was. "Lee?"
"Yes."
"Take me home. I need to be with my mom."
Back at home her mother still sat, not a single hair had been moved since the morning. Every story told to her in childhood about this stuff was true. Science fiction had become fact. The world had changed in a single night and the pleasant life with her daughter that she had planned out before them could be taken away in an instant.
"Lee, this is it! The world is about the change!" she said as she stomped out of the car toward the ridge with the droves of people on it. Lee kept up with her pace, but didn't seem to eager.
She fiddled with the strap of the camcorder around her neck and then held the camera in her palm, all if it looking so natural to her. Before she even saw what was just over the ridge she hit record and pushed her way through the crowd. All the excitement and anticipation, all of the people, all of the news coverage couldn't prepare her for what was just a few solid steps away.
The rim of the ridge soon cleared and the four giant circles and random geometric shapes came into view. Her hand went limp and the camcorder fell to her side as far as the strap would let it. "Lee," she muttered almost incoherently. Lee came through the crowd, which was already angry at her shoving through, a few moments after her and stood behind her. He too, could think of no other words to explain his emotions.
Glory reached back until she felt him fingers encircle her hand. "I'm here," he said, as though those two words would comfort her.
As if this moment of silence wasn't tense enough already, they overheard a person from the crowd behind them. "Look at those lights. They certainly aren't stars. I have lived here for 15 years and would know if stars were right there." Her voice trailed off as each of them turned their heads off toward Bakersfield. Twelve little lights flickered in the distance.
Lee put his arms around Glory and held her close. The look on her face had changed dramatically. The eager little reporter she once was was now replaced with the frightened and inexperienced film student she truly was. "Lee?"
"Yes."
"Take me home. I need to be with my mom."
Back at home her mother still sat, not a single hair had been moved since the morning. Every story told to her in childhood about this stuff was true. Science fiction had become fact. The world had changed in a single night and the pleasant life with her daughter that she had planned out before them could be taken away in an instant.