A/N: Yes, I am alive. I'm so, so sorry for the delay. My computer crashed and I may have lost everything, so right now it's getting repaired. If it is, then I'll post the remaining chapters as soon as I get my computer back, but if not, I'll have to write them all over again and it may take longer for me to update. Right now I'm using my mom's laptop and luckily, I just found a chapter that I had printed out, so I can post at least this. I want to thank everyone who reviewed last time but I don't have time to individually thank everyone. I got some great advice last time so please give me more, thanks. And just to remind everyone, I will never abandon this story, so if there's any doubt, just know that I have reasons (even if they suck) for being late on updates. Thanks for your patience.

-Modesty

Chapter Five: Sky on Fire

"Down to the earth I fell, with dripping wings; heavy things won't fly. And the sky might catch on fire, and burn the axis of the world. That's why I prefer a sunless sky to the glittering and stinging in my eye…" –Nina Gordon 'Tonight and the Rest of My Life'.

In the early hours of the morning, the sun carefully crept upward from the safe bed of darkness below the horizon and announced to all that was left of the Eastern United states that one more day had risen. Breaking away from a light sleep, Robbie opened his eyes.

A warm light was spilling onto the cold cement floor as he looked around at the distressed underground room.

His eyes burned with exhaust, and he breathed in the foul odor of smoke through his nostrils. Robbie combed back his ruffled, dark hair with a hand and yawned as he propped himself up, his back against the wall.

Rachel had spent the night curled up in his arms, but she had had just as little sleep as her brother, a full hour or two at the most.

Ray had held his only daughter tightly in his arms while the earth trembled under the merciless weight of the tripods as they trudged through the neighborhood, destroying everything as they went without stopping and after an hour or so, they were gone completely, an all the noise they'd carried had disappeared with them.

While her father's heart pounded, Rachel scooted from his loose arms and found her brother only feet away. He took her without any word and she sat right in his lap and it was there that she tried to sleep. The only sound left was the heavy breathing and a distant crumbling and crashing every now and then.

Robbie glanced around the destroyed room slowly, his eyes adjusting to the pale, yellow light. He noticed Alex sitting against the wall beside him, her expression placid and her dark hair pulled back in a loose ponytail.

"Alex?" Robbie said quietly. This grabbed the girl's attention. She broke away from her daze to look at Robbie. "Where's Ray?" Robbie had also noticed that his father was gone. A hand of dread seemed to have reached out and grabbed him as he imagined the worst. It's just Ray, Robbie reminded himself. And though he might not have admitted it to anyone, he had to admit at least to himself, that he was, even slightly worried.

"He left," Alex answered, her voice monotone. The moment she said this, Robbie started to pick himself up. "He went to check things out."

Rachel grumbled when she felt Robbie move beneath her. "I'm getting up, Rae," he informed her. Slowly, she stood, and then Robbie got up. He took a step forward, towards the door.

"What are you doing?" asked Alex.

"I'm going to get Ray," Robbie answered, casually.

"Ray said to stay here," Alex insisted.

"Since when do I listen to Ray?" Robbie smiled faintly, but Alex protested.

"Robbie, it's not safe out there," she stood up, preparing to block his way. He took several steps forward, paying no heed to her words. "Robbie, wait," Alex's fingers twitched; she wanted to reach out to him, to hold him back, but instead she let her hands fall to her sides. "Stay here. You don't know what's out there."

Robbie eyed her thoughtfully, but remained stubborn, as usual. "Well I'm not gonna wait here while Ray deserts us again."

"What?" Rachel squeaked, suddenly. Robbie turned around. "Why would he leave us?" Her eyes were beginning to prick with warm tears.

Robbie sighed quietly and walked to his sister who was staring up at him hopelessly. He picked her up and said, "I didn't mean it, Rach."

"Don't let him leave us, Robbie," the little girl murmured.

He set her on the ground, carefully, and again made his way for the wall, where the door had been ripped away. "Robbie, wait," Alex moved to follow him, but he stopped her.

"Robbie you can't leave me!" Rachel screamed.

"Alex, stay here with Rachel."

"Dad!" Rachel screamed and bolted for her father.

Ray's towering shadow loomed before him and slowly he made his way towards his son, his mouth agape with shock. Robbie stepped away from his father path as he approached and shot him a questioning glance. "What happened, Ray?"

"I can't…"Ray stopped abruptly and kneeled before Rachel.

Rachel stared at her father with terror in her soft blue eyes. She had her mother's eyes, and her mother's hair, unlike Robbie, who had always resembled Ray above Mary Ann, but looks seemed to be all that they shared to Rachel.

"Rachel," Ray said softly, trying his best not to reveal how afraid he was in his trembling voice. "Listen to me; when we go outside, I want you to look at me. You're going to want to look around. But you're not going to, are you?"

The little girl shook her head frightfully. That was enough promise for Ray. He carefully picked her up and held her in his arms. She stared at him, fearfully, looking for the comfort she would have found in her mother's eyes, but in Ray's she saw firmness, and a hint of fear.

"Keep your eyes on me Rachel, okay?"

Ray slowly walked out the door, entering the shattered and ruined basement and up the pale white stairs to the entry way. Robbie and Alex followed cautiously behind.

"Remember what I said. Keep your eyes on me," Ray chided, staring firmly into his daughter's eyes. She nodded again, keeping her faithful eyes glued to his.

Robbie took several steps into the kitchen and stopped. Alex came up beside him, both glancing around at what had befallen Robbie's home. Astounded and appalled, Robbie held his breath as he looked around.

Debris was everywhere; it seemed as if he was wading into an ocean of destruction. The entire façade of the home had been blown away; pieces and shreds of wooden beams and siding lay scattered across the hidden floor.

Robbie watched his step as he waded further into the mess. This would have been us if we had slept in our own beds, he realized with a lingering shock. Pipes spat up water from the kitchen sink and plates and glass had been strewn across the floor.

Robbie gazed upwards at the crisp blue sky. It looked peaceful up there, he thought. But on Earth, things were different.

Alex's jaw hung slack as she looked over the wreckage. She watched in silence as Robbie kneeled on the floor.

Robbie brushed his hand along the surface of a pile of debris and felt the smooth surface of glass. He picked up the tiny porcelain figure, holding his baseball cap with the other.

All that was left of the snow-white figurine was a chipped face. "This was my mother's favorite," he said, breathless, as Alex stood beside him. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

The back of the porcelain head was merely a cavity and the cherub's body was gone. Robbie felt a fire of hatred burning inside him. He had to grit his teeth to keep from screaming in anger. Mom's alive, he told himself. I know she's alive.

"Robbie," Alex said, softly. "We'd better go. Ray and Rachel are almost to the van."

Robbie abruptly drew himself to his feet and began to walk away. He put the cherub's soft face in his jacket pocket and kept walking. "Robbie?" Alex stopped him in his tracks and he turned to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said with a nod, and without another word, continued to walk out of the house.

It was difficult to see where the house met the front lawn; the debris covered it all. Suddenly, Robbie turned his head, and saw the front of a plane that had crashed into the home next to his. "Oh my God."

He placed both hands on the back off his head and strode further into the street, which he could see a little clearer. Robbie glanced back at his house once more. He found a place in the middle of the road where he could get a good view of everything, stopped, and turned in slow circles to eye his surroundings.

"Those things, those machines were here…last night." he declared with anguish as Alex joined him.

"They aren't," said Robbie, nodding to the empty shreds of housing that that were piled in rows along the street. "I mean, I had friends here…neighbors."

"I'm sorry, Robbie," Alex muttered a second time. Now you get a taste of how I feel.

"And what about them?" Robbie turned to face the remains of the plane, and its lifeless passengers which hung limply from their seats. Alex had to shut her eyes to hold back the tears. Her throat tickled with the need to cry, but she wouldn't allow it, not in front of Robbie. She needed to be strong for him now.

Again, she placed a tender hand on his shoulder, and adorned a sad frown. "I bet…" she began, trying to sound hopeful. "Your neighbors, some of them must have left the town already. And some must have hidden in their basements, like us."

"If they're alive, where are they?" Robbie asked, doubtful of Alex's words.

The air around them burned with the stench of ashes, smoke, and blood. Alex wasn't sure if you could smell blood, but if you could, she did that day. Robbie smelled burning rubber and wood. They were horrible smells; twin to a horrible sight. But the sight was worse. The taste of ash lingered on Alex's tongue whenever she opened her mouth to speak.

She looked up the sky which was growing hazy. It glittered with a faint hazel hue, cast from the ashes and smoke from the houses and cars. The smoke burned her eyes as Alex stared all around her, still in shock.

"You're doing good, Rachel," Ray complimented as he skipped over the rubble and finally reached the van.

"Close your eyes, Rachel," he said, and she shut them tightly. He opened the van door and, with her still in his arms, he got in, sat down, and started the car after reaching in his pocket for the keys.

Alex turned her head towards the van as it rolled away from the driveway and headed for them. Ray slowed the van when he reached them.

"Let's go, Robbie," she said softly as she walked towards the van's door. She rolled it open and hopped in.

Robbie stood his ground. He couldn't know why, but he didn't want to leave; he didn't want to run anymore. "Robbie, get in the car!" Ray bellowed from in the car.

Hesitantly, Robbie picked up his feet and skipped around the front of the blue van opened the door, and got in. After taking a deep breath he turned to Rachel who was sitting in his father's lap as Ray drove. "Rae, you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said with a nod, opening her eyes.

Robbie then looked at the Red Sox cap he held in his hand. I wonder if I'll ever see them play again. He put the cap on his head, backwards, and frowned.

"Ray, are you okay?" asked Alex, concerned that the man was too quiet.

"Yeah," he answered, eyes keen on watching the road ahead of him. His eyes were scouting ahead for any potential dangers.

"Robbie," Alex began, warily. "Are you alright?"

At first the boy said nothing. Then he finally spoke. "Yeah." It was hardly believable. The claws of weariness had gripped his eyelids, but he refused to shut them. There was too much going on around him, and the time and opportunity for rest as over. It would not come again for a while.

"You okay, Alex?" he suddenly asked in a quiet tone.

"Yeah," she answered softly. "I'm fine." Everyone knew it was a lie.

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the short chapter, but I had to split it in half to spread it out over time, since I don't know when I'll be able to post further chapters. So look for the next update by sometime next week. Probably around the 11th or so. Thanks, and please review!

Modesty