A/N
I hope you guys have enjoyed the story so far, like I've said, it's one of my favorites, and I've enjoyed writing it for you guys. There's going to be an influx of stories today, plus some new premiers. There will be at least one update an hour today, so look out!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE!
This chapter is dedicated to my father, who gave me all his stubbornness and determination. I love you dad, and I really hope you stay well, since you're literally going to work with a broken leg.
Love you dad.
….
CHAPTER 2:
Grace adjusted her glasses, frowning at the computer screen.
The data was making no sense.
These storms were violent, random, and all exactly the same.
A knock on the wall made her look up.
Pam gazed at her blearily through auburn hair falling into her face, pajama's hanging loose of her skinny frame.
"Girl. Its ten pm. Why are you still up?"
"Pam, I need to figure this out."
"What you need is sleep. You can't figure it out if you collapse of exhaustion." She walked up to the desk, picking up an empty energy drink can, "listen, grace, you're one of the best scientists in the world. But you're running on nothing but fumes. You haven't slept in days, I can barely get you to sit down long enough to put food in you, and you're drinking nothing but coffee and energy drinks. This is not healthy."
Grace turned to her friend, "Pam, listen. These storms are dangerous. I've been pulling some data, and I found something interesting."
Pam groaned, "Oh no."
Grace turned to her computer, pulling up a list of names, "You said it started in Iceland, right? Well, your babbling about how it was related to the levels of radiation at the event got me thinking. So, I pulled a list of everyone who was in that area at that time with us, and you will not believe what I found."
"What?"
"Names are matching up." she pointed at a name, "Look. Blaire Willows. Canadian. She was at the event. A storm popped up right above her house in Quebec, then disappeared. Neighbors went to check on her, and noted to authorities that she was missing."
"Ok, so maybe the storm frightened her and she got out of dodge."
"That was three months ago. No one saw her leave the house, and no one has seen her since. And everywhere else a storm popped up, someone went missing. Someone who was at the Iceland event."
Pam sat on the bed, yawning, "So, what? You think that it's related?"
"I know it is. I've pulled the phone numbers of everyone else who was there that hasn't gone missing yet. I asked if they had seen anything weird, and they definitely sounded like they were hiding something. Someone actually hung up on me after I asked that."
She shrugged, "So? It's a personal question. Maybe they didn't want to answer it."
"All of them?" Grace straightened her glasses, "I highly doubt that no-one of 25 people wouldn't at least answer the question. Some snapped, one hung up, and most lied and said nothing strange happened. No one out of 25 people wanted to answer the question. None wanted to tell the truth. Something is going on here."
Pam flung herself back on the bed, groaning, "Uugh, Grace… it is way too late for this. I'm tired, and you haven't slept for a week. Get some sleep, then come back to it tomorrow. You'll see that you're pulling at threads."
"Pam…"
"NO." she stood, closed the laptop, made grace stand up, and sat her on the bed, "Sleep. NOW. You need it."
"But my work!"
"Will still be there in the morning. Now go to bed, please." She yawned, putting a hand over her mouth.
Grace sighed, kicking off her shoes and putting her glasses on the table, "Fine. I guess a couple hours wouldn't hurt me. And I'll wake up refreshed with a better eye for looking at it. I might see something new."
"Yes. Good girl." Pam picked up the laptop, "I'm taking this and plugging it in in my room so you can't get up after I've fallen asleep and go back to work."
"Is that really necessary?"
"Yes, it really is."
Grace groaned, putting her head on the pillow. A yawn broke out before she could hide it, and her eyelids started to flutter.
Pam smiled and kissed her forehead, "Goodnight Grace. Sleep well."
"Night Pam." She snuggled into the blankets, warmth creeping all over her, "I'll see you in the morning."
….
Purple-white lightning flashed across the turbulent sky. Grace held her arms above her face, a futile attempt to block the hammering rain and howling wind. Her hair, though a wet matt on her head, swirled like snakes in the wind. Rain beat down on all of her, sure to leave bruises.
The palm trees surrounding the little field outside her home were lying flat against the ground, blown there by the wind, but not flying away, their roots still holding on.
But with massive groans and snapping sounds, one by one, each flew up into the sky, twirling around like very deadly kites.
Through what little of her rain-covered glasses she could see, she saw her house in a blaze, despite the pouring rain.
Lightning struck again and again, bringing the mighty building to its knees.
Little spots of black against the bright orange of the flames milled around.
Grace tried to step forward, but the winds increased, preventing her from moving in any direction. It was as if all the wind in the air was being drawn to her from all sides, then coming back in a never-ending circle.
But that was scientifically impossible. Air and wind did not work like that.
Lightning struck again, right in front of her.
But it stayed in its spot, sparking in different directions.
Lighting didn't work like that.
It was scientifically impossible.
Almost as impossible as the fact that it seemed to be taking on an almost human shaped form.
She had seen lightning in rainbows. She had seen lightning when there were no storms nearby. Lightning in the shape of hearts, genitalia, and lightning that seemed to actively seek out people.
All of that was real.
Scientifically explained.
This could not be explained by anything.
It reach towards her and everything exploded.
…
Grace sat up in bed with a start.
Sun was streaming through the open window.
Open… window?
Her curtains usually stayed closed, and she certainly never opened the window.
She pulled the blankets back slowly, warily placing her sock covered feet on the cool tile. Grace stood and stalked to the window, closing it, but leaving the curtain open.
A dry chuckle made her whip around.
Pam leaned against the door frame, smirking.
"Guess you really needed that sleep."
Grace yawned and stretched, "Yeah. I guess I did. Now I'm ready to get back to work."
"About time." She snorted, "Boss called this morning to find out why you didn't give her any updates over the weekend."
"Weekend?" grace looked at her friend, pausing in tugging on her boots, "Its Friday…"
Pam started giggling behind a hand.
Grace frowned, "Just how long did you make me sleep?"
"I didn't make you sleep from Thursday night to Tuesday morning. That was your body telling you that you are big dumb."
"I WAS ASLEEP FOR FOUR DAYS?!" she screamed, birds squawking and flying away from the tree right outside her window.
Pam walked past her, opening the window again, "Yell a bit louder. I think theres so French grandma who didn't hear you."
"Pam. I was asleep for FOUR days! Why didn't you wake me up?!"
"I tried! I tapped you on the shoulder, said your name, made your favorite food and waved it under your nose. Took some nasty smelling clothes and put it under your nose. You were out like a light."
Grace sat on the bed, head in hands, "I was asleep for four days…" she whispered beneath her breath.
"Yes. And you needed." Pam lightly punched her shoulder, "come on downstairs. There's coffee, and I'll make breakfast."
Grace nodded, not moving or saying anything. Pam chuckled, sighed, and then kissed the top of her friends head. She walked out of the room, graceful as a dancer, almost swaying to an unheard rhythm.
Grace stayed seated on the bed for a couple minutes, gathering her thoughts. Finally, she stood, stretched, yawned, and left the room.
All the windows in the house were open, a cool late summers breeze drifting through the house, smelling of saltwater, flowers, and the coffee that had just brewed.
She paused at the end of the stairs, watching pam dance to music from the radio at the stove, flipping eggs, singly along softly as she danced without care. A smile drifted across Grace's face as she stepped quietly into the kitchen, hugging her friend from behind when she stepped away from the stove.
Pam yelped, then laughed, looking behind her.
"Jeez Grace! Try not to give me a heart attack at the stove! You'll be eating seared Pam for dinner!"
Grace chuckled darkly against her neck, "Bold of you to assume that I'm not… GOING TO EAT YOU FOR DINNER ANYWAY!" She tickled her friend's sides, growling playfully, "Om-nom-nom-nom!"
Pam squealed, trying to get away from Grace's hands.
She smacked graces hands with a hot pad, "You stop that! Or I'll be eating seared Grace for dinner!"
Grace smirked, giggling, "Not if I eat you first!" she called out in a sing-song voice.
They tussled for a moment, pam eventually pinning grace to the table, in front of the open and running laptop.
An alert flashed across the screen. Grace titled her head back in an attempt to read it, inadvertently sending it to pick up call.
Their boss's face filled the screen.
She sighed, straightening her glasses, looking into the camera, "Alright pam, I need you to-"
She stopped, seeing both woman look up at the camera in their precarious position.
"Am I… interrupting something?"
Pam stood back, clearing her throat, "No, no ma'am! We were just fighting. Nothing important."
The boss's eyebrow shot up, "Just… fighting. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Do I need to separate your partnership in that case?"
Grace shook her head rapidly, now sitting in front of the computer with pam standing behind her, "No, no ma'am! Everything is fine. It was just some play fighting between close friends."
"You two certainly did look close…" she cleared her throat, "I don't believe I need to remind you that your jobs come first, ladies."
"Yes, yes, we understand ma'am. Trust me when I say that our relationship DOES NOT impede our work AT ALL."
"Very well." She straightened her glasses, "Any updates?"
Grace cleared her throat, "Ah, no ma'am. But soon. Very soon. We promise."
"See that it happens."
The video call ended, a red phone symbol flashing in the center of the screen. They sat in silence for several moments before Pamela cleared her throat.
"Umm… the… eggs are burning. I should… go deal with that." She pointed behind her, then turned and walked back towards the stove.
Grace nodded, then turned back to the computer.
…..
Five days later
Grace leaned against the window, frowning at the files in her lap.
Weeks had passed and nothing had come into any further clarity.
She sighed and looked out the window. Far off, a band of clouds was approaching the coast, lightning flickering in the huge spires of cloud.
The laptop on the table started beeping.
Grace turned to face it as pam raced up the steps, holding her own laptop.
"GRACE!"
"What's going on?"
"It's the storm. It's coming."