Disclaimer: I do not own Drake and Josh or War of the Worlds. I wish I owned Tom Cruise . .
War Of The Worlds : Part One : Chapter One
"...No-one would have believed in the early years of the twenty-first century that our world was being watched by intelligences greater than our own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns, they observed and studied, the way a man with a microscope might scrutinize the creatures that swarm and multiple in a drop of water. With infinite complacency, men went to and fro about the globe, confident of our empire over this world. Yet across the gulf of space, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic regarded our planet with envious eyes and slowly, and surely, drew their plans against us..."
- Morgan Freeman, War of the Worlds
9:50 PM
Josh Nichols watched a raindrop fall from the sky onto the windshield that nightd. "Thanks for driving me home." Mindy said as the Honda pulled up to her home.
"No problem, anytime." He said, nodding as he drove up to her house, in a lost daze. Something was bothering him. It was nothing he could put his finger on. But Josh was such it was, as usual, nothing. They all said he was weird... maybe he was just having a 'moment', as he calls them.
The car parked and only crickets chirping could be heard over the awkward silence. Josh sighed.
This is what we do.
It was the first day of fall break, and in two days Josh and his brother Drake would be heading out to eat Thanksgiving dinner with their family at their grandmother's house.
"I had a good time tonight, Josh." Mindy broke the silence. Josh knew she was just trying to make him feel better. Josh didn't respond.
"Josh is something wrong? You have been acting ... strange lately."
"I'm fine, really. I think I am just trying to find my...place, you know?"
She softly touched his arm. "You're just depressed, Josh. One day, we'll do something nice. Just you and me, okay? I promise."
"Okay." Mindy began to get out but Josh stopped her. She watched him curiously as he pulled out a small square box. She opened it, revealing a dimond chain bracelet. She stared at it, her face glowing.
"Wow, Josh. Thank you. I'll wear it...forever." Mindy said, putting it on. "I'll see you after break."
For some unknown reason, forever sent a chill up his spine as he stared silently into the black abyss of the night. Suddenly, there was a flash of light that made him jump.
Lightening? I didn't see any clouds.
Josh waited silently, his breath getting louder and louder with each passing second.
Where's the thunder?
The Next Day - Noon
The Nichols - Parker house was in a frantic. The parents were running late for being out on the highway, and feared the probable holiday traffic.
"Can we get on the road now, please?" Walter said, annoyed.
"Alright, alright," said Audrey, putting on an earring. "Take Megan and wait in the car. I'll be out in a minute." She turned to Josh, who was sitting by the window.
"Now, Josh, Drake, listen. We both expect you at Grammy's house tomorrow in time for Thanksgiving dinner. No detours, no excuses. Got it?"
"Yeah," the boys said simultaneously.
"Good, we'll see you both on Friday." Josh didn't like how she said both. As if one of us was going to get away. Unfortunatly, that was more than likely to happen.
He hoped no one would see him in such a sour mood anyway.
Christ, what's the point?
"Parents, you can never get rid of them," said Drake in a monotone voice.
"What the hell is your problem?" asked Josh, trying not to lose his temper.
"I can name a few girls that will be happy to tell you."
Josh rolled his eyes and sat near the window. He was still pretty creeped about the last night's lightening storm. It came some more, at least 10 or 20 times. And strange enough, it seemed like it was coming from the same spot...
He shook his head, as if the silly thoughts would just fly out.
No, don't be stupid. You're the son of a weatherman. Get real.
Then there was a ear shattering noise that sounded like screeching tires and colliding metal. More lightening.
Not again! How is this happening?
"What was that?" Josh asked, frantic.
"I dunno. It sounded like a car accident." Drake replied.
"I have to go see if anyone's hurt." Josh grabbed his sweater and ran out the door. As he rounded the corner into town, his stomach flopped. It was an overcast day, as predicted. There was a collision between a BMW and a fire hydrant, however there wasn't just one car. About ten cars were lying scattered on the street. People were running out of there homes to check and cars and look at the weather.
Another brilliant flash of light knocked him of concentration, along with a crowd of people almost knocking him over.
"I think it hit over here," he overhead one of them them saying.
"Just think... this could be history in the making!" Another replied. Half annoyed and half curious, Josh followed the tourists a few blocks and to an intersection whre more people were gathering. Josh managed to push his way through to find a crater sized round crack in the black asphalt. He just started at it as an overweight policeman tried to clear the area.
This IS history in the making!
"Okay, okay. People, there is nothing to see here," said the fat cop. "Move along!" Josh ignored him and bent down, picking up a chunch of black ground.
"Gah!" He was just as quick to drop it.
"Is it hot?" A tourist asked him curiously.
"No.." Josh said, looking up.. "It's freezing."
Crack!
The Earth was splitting in two parts. People frantically moved out of the way, followed it to see what was happening. Girls flocked and giggled with their equally 'amused' friends, while teenage boys in beanies held camcorders. With a terrible ripping noise, the crack went a single way through the crowed to a skyscraper that was new to the city. Josh remembered it well - there were many protests to stop construction on it because it ran right through the ancient city park, tearing down some trees in the process.
The crack seemed to stopped there, and the road - hell, the country - seemed to be silent. Even the cop took a pause from shoving people to watch what would happen next.
After a few moments, a particular obnoxious teenage boy holding a camcorder screamed out "Hey! Was that it?" in a disappointed tone.
A green SUV out of nowhere came spinning wildly out of the air, crushing him. Josh made a breathless scream.
Then it came out of the ground, like a growing corn stalk.
It - dark, round, three metal 'legs' that propped it up at least 200 feet in the air. And - menacing.
As shocken onlooker stared at the monster, it blared a noise that sounded like a car horn. Commonly known as a 'death horn' in the aftermath.
And, for a second, no one could breathe.