~Chapter 27~
The abrupt sounding of the self-destruct alarm scared everyone, caught off guard as they were.
"We have to get away from the building." Max said.
"Across there-" Isabel pointed. "I think in the distance, that is where we came from the woods before we went into the facility to get you two out."
The group ran in the direction away from the building. They passed the front entrance and kept running. About a block away Max and Victoria collapsed on the ground completely out of energy. The rest of the group sat down next to them and watched the front of the building, hoping Michael and Saelar would come out.
The minutes ticked away and with every minute, that mechanical voice announced the self-destruct timer.
"4 minutes till self-destruct."
Everyone wore stricken expressions.
Liz sat on Max's left side. She was sitting so close - to comfort him as much as herself. Isabel was next to Liz. Gabriel sat a little apart and behind, feeling every bit the outsider.
Max glanced at Victoria as she cried quietly, her expression so fixed on the building. He took her hand. She looked down at it and squeezed it - but she only looked back at the building.
"2 minutes to self-destruct." Isabel's heart lurched. She squeezed her eyes closed.
Victoria gave a cry and stood up. "Michael!" Max drew her back down. "You can't go in." He said sternly.
Max squeezed the hand of hers that he still held, tightly. She looked down at him. He shook his head, his eyes full of lending strength. She collapsed back beside him and closed her eyes as they all heard the mechanical voice one more time..
"1 minute to self-destruct."
The seconds were ticking away behind Victoria's eyelids.
And then.
"Look!" Liz cried.
Victoria didn't look. She couldn't hope, not until Isabel yelled, "It's Michael and Saelar!"
Victoria opened her eyes and saw two figures in the near distance running towards them, away from the facility.
And then they all closed their eyes and covered their heads, hunkered down on the ground as the building burst into flames with an explosion.
Michael and Saelar were knocked down.
One by one, they opened their eyes and they saw Saelar and Michael making their last bit of way to them.
"Michael!" Victoria cried as Michael collapsed down on the other side of her. They embraced fiercely. She cried against his shoulder. She hugged him, not wanting to let him go. "It's done. It's over." He said against her shoulder. Victoria looked up at Saelar who stood looking down at them.
"Thank you." Her voice said in Saelar's mind. Only he knew of her order.
He inclined his head pointedly to her. And then in her mind she heard him say, "No matter my judgment, I honor your command, my queen. "
No one else noticed, but Max noted the silent exchange.
"It is over." Liz said, and she embraced Max, so glad he was safe and this nightmare was over.
Isabel looked at the burning building and realized they'd survived another nightmare. But only she could even begin to fathom the nightmare that her brother and Victoria had lived in for so many days. She looked at the building and realized it could have been her or Michael. It could have been all of them there. Because they were different. they were aliens. And their difference could be dangerous, not just to others - but to themselves. And then, more than at any other time of her life - she realized just how different they were.
Max was holding Liz, staring at the building, remembering the long days and weeks and almost two months of confinement - the fear, the pain, the humiliation, the desolation. He looked over at Victoria and she was holding Michael. She looked from the building and to Max. And he knew she had been remembering the same things. So much had changed. Nothing would ever be the same. She had been the shadow of fate that had blown into their lives that long ago autumn day.
As the building convulsed with fire and smoke, Victoria looked at Max. She was thinking back to before - back when she and Max were at odds. So much had changed. She remembered back to those lonely days when she was homeless, after that other explosion at the Winthrop mansion. She remembered Saelar coming to her one night and telling her things that changed her life forever. Now only Max knew these things. some of these things. Saelar had asked her what she really wanted. She'd said Michael. She had prayed, wished and begged for one more moment in time with him. And she had gotten one more moment in time. But what she had gotten, was one more moment in time with Max. And that frightened her, while she knew it had felt right even against her own heart. She knew it was true to be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might receive. Max had been right, maybe history was repeating itself. In the greatest dream, there had to be the shadow of the greatest nightmare. She closed her eyes and only felt Michael. But not even he could keep them from spiraling into the abyss of the past.
[END OF ONE MORE MOMENT IN TIME]
There will be a sequel, tentatively titled, "Into the Realm of Chaos" - which will start being posted next month. After that, there will be a prequel to it all. Thank you so much for those of you that have emailed me and reviewed this. Keep reading! This on-going saga is not over.
- - - -
And even though the moment passed me by
I still can't turn away
I saw the dreams you never thought you'd lose
Tossed along the way
Letters that you never meant to send
Are lost and blown away
.
And now we've grown up orphans I never knew their names
We don't belong to no one, that's a shame
You could hide beside me, maybe for awhile
And I won't tell no one your name
I won't tell your name
.
The scar's a souvenir she'd never lose
The past is never far
And did you lose yourself somewhere out there
Did you get to be a star
.
Don't it make you sad to know that life
Is more than who we are
You grew up way too fast
Now there's nothing to believe
The reruns all become my history
A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio
And I won't tell no one your name
And I won't tell your name
"Name" by Goo Goo Dolls
The abrupt sounding of the self-destruct alarm scared everyone, caught off guard as they were.
"We have to get away from the building." Max said.
"Across there-" Isabel pointed. "I think in the distance, that is where we came from the woods before we went into the facility to get you two out."
The group ran in the direction away from the building. They passed the front entrance and kept running. About a block away Max and Victoria collapsed on the ground completely out of energy. The rest of the group sat down next to them and watched the front of the building, hoping Michael and Saelar would come out.
The minutes ticked away and with every minute, that mechanical voice announced the self-destruct timer.
"4 minutes till self-destruct."
Everyone wore stricken expressions.
Liz sat on Max's left side. She was sitting so close - to comfort him as much as herself. Isabel was next to Liz. Gabriel sat a little apart and behind, feeling every bit the outsider.
Max glanced at Victoria as she cried quietly, her expression so fixed on the building. He took her hand. She looked down at it and squeezed it - but she only looked back at the building.
"2 minutes to self-destruct." Isabel's heart lurched. She squeezed her eyes closed.
Victoria gave a cry and stood up. "Michael!" Max drew her back down. "You can't go in." He said sternly.
Max squeezed the hand of hers that he still held, tightly. She looked down at him. He shook his head, his eyes full of lending strength. She collapsed back beside him and closed her eyes as they all heard the mechanical voice one more time..
"1 minute to self-destruct."
The seconds were ticking away behind Victoria's eyelids.
And then.
"Look!" Liz cried.
Victoria didn't look. She couldn't hope, not until Isabel yelled, "It's Michael and Saelar!"
Victoria opened her eyes and saw two figures in the near distance running towards them, away from the facility.
And then they all closed their eyes and covered their heads, hunkered down on the ground as the building burst into flames with an explosion.
Michael and Saelar were knocked down.
One by one, they opened their eyes and they saw Saelar and Michael making their last bit of way to them.
"Michael!" Victoria cried as Michael collapsed down on the other side of her. They embraced fiercely. She cried against his shoulder. She hugged him, not wanting to let him go. "It's done. It's over." He said against her shoulder. Victoria looked up at Saelar who stood looking down at them.
"Thank you." Her voice said in Saelar's mind. Only he knew of her order.
He inclined his head pointedly to her. And then in her mind she heard him say, "No matter my judgment, I honor your command, my queen. "
No one else noticed, but Max noted the silent exchange.
"It is over." Liz said, and she embraced Max, so glad he was safe and this nightmare was over.
Isabel looked at the burning building and realized they'd survived another nightmare. But only she could even begin to fathom the nightmare that her brother and Victoria had lived in for so many days. She looked at the building and realized it could have been her or Michael. It could have been all of them there. Because they were different. they were aliens. And their difference could be dangerous, not just to others - but to themselves. And then, more than at any other time of her life - she realized just how different they were.
Max was holding Liz, staring at the building, remembering the long days and weeks and almost two months of confinement - the fear, the pain, the humiliation, the desolation. He looked over at Victoria and she was holding Michael. She looked from the building and to Max. And he knew she had been remembering the same things. So much had changed. Nothing would ever be the same. She had been the shadow of fate that had blown into their lives that long ago autumn day.
As the building convulsed with fire and smoke, Victoria looked at Max. She was thinking back to before - back when she and Max were at odds. So much had changed. She remembered back to those lonely days when she was homeless, after that other explosion at the Winthrop mansion. She remembered Saelar coming to her one night and telling her things that changed her life forever. Now only Max knew these things. some of these things. Saelar had asked her what she really wanted. She'd said Michael. She had prayed, wished and begged for one more moment in time with him. And she had gotten one more moment in time. But what she had gotten, was one more moment in time with Max. And that frightened her, while she knew it had felt right even against her own heart. She knew it was true to be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might receive. Max had been right, maybe history was repeating itself. In the greatest dream, there had to be the shadow of the greatest nightmare. She closed her eyes and only felt Michael. But not even he could keep them from spiraling into the abyss of the past.
[END OF ONE MORE MOMENT IN TIME]
There will be a sequel, tentatively titled, "Into the Realm of Chaos" - which will start being posted next month. After that, there will be a prequel to it all. Thank you so much for those of you that have emailed me and reviewed this. Keep reading! This on-going saga is not over.
- - - -
And even though the moment passed me by
I still can't turn away
I saw the dreams you never thought you'd lose
Tossed along the way
Letters that you never meant to send
Are lost and blown away
.
And now we've grown up orphans I never knew their names
We don't belong to no one, that's a shame
You could hide beside me, maybe for awhile
And I won't tell no one your name
I won't tell your name
.
The scar's a souvenir she'd never lose
The past is never far
And did you lose yourself somewhere out there
Did you get to be a star
.
Don't it make you sad to know that life
Is more than who we are
You grew up way too fast
Now there's nothing to believe
The reruns all become my history
A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio
And I won't tell no one your name
And I won't tell your name
"Name" by Goo Goo Dolls