Robbie walked home, JD doing the same thing as she walked into apartment number 17, a horrible stench filling her lungs.
"Mom?" She called out as she walked into her own room grabbing her over-the-shoulder backpack. She had no idea what was going on, but she couold feel the ground shake beneath her feet as she loaded her bag with what was in her cabinet. A small box of nutrigrain bars, a bag of cheezits, and two bottles of water.
She had a gut feeling that something was happening, and she almost lost it, filling the bag with a bunch of useless things. A chocolate coin, a ceramic egg, a dictionary, and a small gold bacelet and she found herself hitting her head against the wall several times before coming to her sences, pulling out the dictionary and egg, but leaving the tiny trinket of gold.
Robbie and her had agreed to meet each other back at his house, although he admitted, his father would be fuming because he had taken his car.
She didn't bother knocking on their door after she finished the walk across town, after opening the door, seeing Robbie and his little sister, Rachel who adored JD under the kitchen table as Mr. Ferrier whom everyone called Ray, including his own son walked in carrying a box, focussed on only the contents in it. As he dumped the contents out onto the table saying "robbie, fill this up with food"
"Why?" Robbie asked curiousness on his face.
"Just do it" Ray and JD said at the same time, JD sounding more shrill than usual.
"Who are you?" Ray asked.
"That's Jay" Rachel stated, her curly blonde hair wet.
"Who?" Ray asked
"The one I told you about" Rachel stated, crawling out from underneith the table. "how I caught them in mom's room-"
"I'll do it-" Robbie stated, making much more noise than nessicary as he filled the box with food.
"Hi" JD said, "Nice to meet you" She wasn't embarassed, and it took a lot for her to let her guard down, espicially around a man.
Every friday night, JD's father, Richard used to use her and her mother for target practice with his fists, leaving the family after gambeling away every cent they had to their name. JD's brothers had all left, too, for the military- And then their were the drunken men that tried to make a move on her every night at they bar. It was no suprise that JD had a problem trusting men.
When Robbie had left the room, JD looked Ray straight in the eye as he brushed some dust off of his jacket.
"The lightening isn't the only thing going funny, is it?" She asked, continuing on when she was met with nothign except for Ray's black stares. "You know my brother Andy. He's a smart guy, works for the Army in combat. Spends a lot of time outside. Been through a lot. He told me two things I'd never thought I'd use until now. Number one, I am sure you know. Lightenign never strikes the same place twice. It's against everything we know about Physics. I've seen that stuff outside. It doesnt act like lightening, because it isn't lightening. Here's number two. Nothing can move somthing. Unless something has the power to overcome it's streangth, as well as they weight of the thing it's trying to move. Even with the techtonic plates, the magma is moving it. My conclusion, Theres something pretty damn big underground"
Ray turned his attention to Robbie and Rachel standing in the doorway. "Your a smart kid"Was all he said as he grabbed the two of his kids, but JD stood behind. She didn't want to burden him any further.
Ray suddenly stopped. ärent you comming?" he asked, turni and looking back.
JD nodded, catching up with them. The small smile that was on her face began to fade. "You don't have to feel responsible for me or anything-" she said.
Ray nodded, JD walking next to Robbie, sliding her hand in his back pocket, him strapping his arm afound her shoulder.
"Ray won't have to protect her"Robbie thought. He was going to do all of that himself. Whatever was going on, is something happened, we was going to be her knight in shining armour. Robbie didn't hate his dad. He just felt like Ray was always somewhere else, at his work, his car, never thinking about his kids.
"Who's car is this" Rachel asked as they walked into a car gradge, standing in front of a blue mini van.
"Get in" Ray ordered, Robbie getting in the passengers seat, JD opening the side door, placing Rachel in the back, her climbing in too.
"Who's car is this?" Rachel asked again, close to tears, on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Ït's mine, sweetie"JD said soothingly to the little eleven-year-old girl as she attatched herself to JD.
Ray spotted a friend he knew.
"Hey Ray, you were right. It was the solar-"The jolly looking bald man spotted the three kids in the car, which JD clearle could not afford, though she didn't feel bad about lieing to rachel. "Hey, Ray. What are you doing."
"Get in the car-" Ray said to the man in the blue suit.
"Your talkin' crazy, Ray"
The ground began to rumble again.
"GET IN THE CAR OR YOUR GONNA DIE, MANNY" Ray suddenly found himself screaming. JD looked behind her, seeing two creatures appear from nowhere. They almost looked like machined. She tried to keep Rachel's attention away from the windows, but found that it was impossible. As soon as she was the things, she let out an earsplitting scream that even shook Robbie's ears.
The eleven-year-old was clearly having a nervous breakdown, breathing heavilly. JD tried to calm her, but she was almost out of control.
Robbie turned around. "Rachel, look at me"Robbie said, grabbing his sisters face. "Put them up" He crossed his arms and said soothingly. "This is your space. Nothing can hurt you in your space."
Rachel repeated those words, JD almost in awe as Robbie looked at her with a weak smile. "Sometimes she gets clausterphobic"
