by Pamela Davis
Andy suddenly slammed on the brakes and pulled the car off the road.
Waldo slid on the seat and hit the door of the car and yelped once in a tone that could only be called one of outrage before turning to Andy as the car stopped. Andy faced Waldo and said, "Waldo, this is crazy, but I have to ask this. Did you know the hurricane was coming?" Slowly, but definitely, Waldo nodded his head twice.
"Oh, my God," Andy said into the silence of the car. "Wait, wait that could be a fluke, your nodding your head just then. There has to be a way to prove it because this is totally nuts. Crazy, insane, world turned upside-down stuff here. Let me think...Okay, here, I've got it. Since the store, since meeting that woman with the lavender eyes, it seems like you have been getting me to take the same roads as her, that we are following her. If that's right, if that's true, bark twice for yes, bark once for no."
Waldo promptly barked twice and nodded his head twice, as if for emphasis.
"Oh, Lord," said Andy. "What the heck is going on?" At that moment, he felt Waldo's wet nose pushing his arm, trying to lift it to the steering wheel. "You want me to keep driving...But why? What are we doing? Where are going? What the hell's going on?"
Waldo just looked at him.
Andy muttered, "I guess those aren't exactly yes or no questions."
Waldo barked twice as they rolled down the highway.
Farther Down Highway 20, between Hattiesburg and Jackson, Mississippi
"So? Are they still behind us?" Lisanne asked Merlin.
The cat closed his eyes for a moment and then nodded.
"And has the dog gotten through to his oh-so-buttoned up master yet?" she quizzed.
Merlin turned to stare at her and she said, "Sorry, I know he's not really Waldo's master, but it was just an old habit saying that. Never to be said again, I promise! Anyway, did Waldo get through?"
A smaller nod from the cat. Lisanne smiled slightly, "Ah, so Waldo sort of got through but the guy is still not quite a believer, right?"
Merlin nodded vigorously. "Well, I think our know-it-all weatherman has a few more shocks to endure before the day is over," Lisanne said, chuckling quietly to herself.
Merlin stared at her, thinking Lisanne had more shocks coming than she could begin to imagine.
New York City, New York
As Nathan and Alexandra made their way out of the city in a rented car, they discussed Alex's dream from the night before. Nathan insisted on doing the driving, but lost that battle. Alex's driving probably would be better than his after all, since he'd had an incredibly bad night of sleep. He didn't recall any dreams, just felt like he'd been through a war in his sleep, and was exhausted upon waking.
"Okay," he said, opening up a spiral notebook. "You had a nightmare?"
Alex shrugged. "It didn't feel like a nightmare, more like it was real, like it was happening right then. So when we heard that news report about some hurricane suddenly appearing in the Gulf of Mexico, it was a shock. Because that was what the dream was about."
She paused and glanced over at her friend and co-worker. "You're not saying anything...what are you thinking?"
Nathan chewed on the end of his pen for a moment, and then said cautiously, "I'm thinking your dream about the hurricane is kind of like Tiknay predicting the earthquake. I'm thinking these disasters are perhaps not so natural as previous ones. And yes, yes, I know that disasters happen all the time, but do they happen with people predicting them accurately? Tiknay's prediction and your dream...it makes me wonder if anyone else might be having similar experiences."
Alex shifted uncomfortably behind the wheel, honking at a car pulling out in front of her. She was not happy with where Nathan's theory was going. She knew she wasn't a psychic, didn't even believe in that as something real. Yet to have such a dream, which was so vivid and immediate feeling, and then to see an image on the weather channel showing the gigantic storm from her dream--it was eerie.
"What I'm surprised at," Alex observed, "is how little uproar there is in the news or among the people we've talked to since getting back to the States. You were right the other day when you said people aren't accepting all the deaths that are occurring. It's like some mass denial is going on--and maybe that's happening because there have been a number of disasters so close together."
Nathan nodded. "I agree. Something about all of this does not feel right. Granted, we've been living in Africa for a while, in a completely different culture--but being back here...it feels more strange than I would have expected. People seem...weird."
Alex laughed shortly. "People are always weird in one way or another. But I have to say," she admitted reluctantly, "that predicting disasters, dreaming of them, that's a new one. And if that is what is going on--how the hell did it happen? What caused this change in people, giving them this ability?"
Nathan watched her face tighten a bit at those words. He knew what was wrong. She didn't want to think she had been changed, altered, in some way. And if he was honest with himself, he thought ironically, it gave him a queasy feeling to think it could happen to him, as well. It felt like if he were changed in that way, he would be changed by something outside himself, be manipulated in some way by an unknown force. Which sounded more like a bad science fiction movie than anything that could be happening in real life.
"Alex," he began, "do you feel any different? Physically, mentally? Any changes that you can sense at all within yourself?"
She shook her head negatively. "No, no. Absolutely not. I feel like myself! Same as always." She gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Look, we could be wrong, you know. Maybe it was just an amazing fluke of a thing that I dreamed about this hurricane. Maybe Tiknay didn't know what she was talking about. Maybe we are overreacting. That is possible, Nathan, it really is."
Nathan heard the undertone of pleading in her voice as she stopped talking. "Maybe," he said quietly, "but maybe this...whatever it is...maybe something has changed. Maybe the world is changing."
As they sped out of the city, weaving through heavy traffic, Alex muttered, "Yeah maybe...but if so, what the hell is the world changing into?"
Cape Fair, Mrs. Philpott's House
John came into Mrs. Philpott's house with a triumphant grin on his face. Picking up Samantha and twirling her around, he called out, "Hey, everybody, get in here! Good news!" Sam was laughing as he put her down, and Harry, Perceval, Jessica and Mrs. Philpott all came quickly from different parts of the house.
"What is it, John?" Jessica asked.
"We are the proud owners of a farm, plus the land next to this house and our house," John replied.
"What?" Jessica said, startled.
Mrs. Philpott looked shocked. "John, I thought we said we had to be careful with resources. How on earth can we afford to do this?"
"Don't worry. I don't know if the gods are looking out for us or the earth or what, but we fell into a super deal on the land between our houses, which means we own all the land between this house and our house, so we can do whatever we need to do with this block of land and it will be connected all between our two homes. The farm was a steal because the old farmer had died and the kids didn't want the farm. They just wanted to sell in a hurry. So we didn't spend any more than we had planned to spend. We just totally lucked out."
"Well, in that case, this is cause to celebrate!" Jessica said. "And what better way than to invite some friends over...how about having our first 'party' to read people?"
"An excellent idea. We need to get moving now on recruiting people who are on the same wavelength, so to speak, as we are, to help us prepare," said Mrs. Philpott. "You start calling people, Jessica, and I'll start cooking."
Norman, Oklahoma
Zack handed the phone to Maria. Her broadcast from Norman, Oklahoma, had been eerie because they were on a university campus, but no students were visible anywhere. Everyone was afraid to be outdoors, and after hearing the stories of the lightning strikes here, the television crew with Zack and Maria weren't exactly
thrilled standing outside even for a few minutes. The strikes appeared to be random, but deadly accurate in their ability to always hit human beings who were outdoors. The entire city was shut down and it appeared that this was happening all over the state. The governor was asking for emergency aid, but no one knew exactly what kind of aid to give. Some far out science types were talking of developing some kind of lightning shields, but didn't have any kind of timetable for their development. As he finished musing about the Oklahoma problem, Zack realized that Maria had gone tense beside him. What now, he wondered, and tuned into what she was saying on her side of the conversation with Phoebe.
"The exact time and place were right? But that's...that's impossible! Isn't it, Phoebe? No, no, I'm not doubting your accuracy, Phoebe...no, I understand what you're saying. What? Why do I need to leave here? She said that? Is she sure? But we should warn people...well, maybe they would believe us...we have try, Phoebe...No, don't tell the guys upstairs, just leave this to me. Wait...did she say how she could be reached, where she is? Yes, yes, give me that number...."
Watching her pull open a small notebook and dig through her bag for a pen, Zack handed Maria his pen and she jotted down a name and number. "Okay, got it. Let me know the minute she calls again, anything she says write it down, when she says it, anything...yes, okay, we'll get on the chopper as soon as it gets here. Thanks, Phoebe." Clicking off the phone, Jessica handed it back to Zack and leaned against the brick wall in the lobby of the Administration building of the University where they were holed up to avoid the lightning.
"Well," said Zack, "what was that all about?"
"You remember that woman I told you about who called Phoebe and predicted a massive hurricane in the Gulf?" Zack nodded. "And how the weather reports said there was no way, no hurricane on the radar? Well, it happened anyway, just the way she said, exactly where she said, exactly when she said."
"What? What does that mean? Could it have been a coincidence?" asked Zack.
"I don't know," Maria responded slowly. "But if it was for real, and I'm inclined to believe it was for real because everything pointed to there not being a hurricane when and where she said one would be...if she is for real, then we have a problem."
"Why?"
"Because," said Maria, "these lightning strikes are about to get a lot more deadly. According to our psychic friend," and at this Maria smiled grimly, "the lightning is going to get bigger and start hitting buildings, demolishing them. She just called Phoebe to tell her to warn me and to get me out of here now."
"Maria, why you? Why is she focused on you?" Zack questioned.
"I'm wondering the same thing myself. Plus, if we know these things are about to happen, don't we have a responsibility to warn people?"
"What would you say? And what could they do? If the outdoors is not safe and the buildings are not safe, then where would they be safe?" Zack asked as he gathered up their gear.
"Bomb shelters maybe? Or some could try and leave the state? It does seem confined to this state...for the moment anyway," Maria said, frustrated in the knowledge that there was little she could do to save the thousands about to be killed.
Finally, she asked Zack for the phone again and dialed the number of the Governor's office. After several minutes of talking and persuasion, she got through to the Governor himself and tried to explain her belief that the buildings would soon be under attack and that he should make a public announcement. As the helicopter Phoebe had sent landed to take her to safety, she clicked off the phone and clambered in, resignation written all over her face. Zack raised his eyebrows in question and she just shook her head. That night on the news she had to report about an unknown number of casualties in Oklahoma killed by lightning strikes on buildings and fires out of control by strikes on oil wells.
Sonic Drive-In on the outskirts of Jackson, Mississippi
Lisanne leaned out the window of her car to yell into the speaker of the old-fashioned drive-in. She loved Sonic because they still brought your food to you on a tray that hooked on the door of the car. "Onion rings--and I want a chocolate milkshake plus a carton of milk, a plain fish sandwich with nothing on it, and a Barbecue Burger. Just don't forget the plastic bowl I ordered! I'm willing to pay extra for that," she finished saying, shaking her head at Merlin. "You just know they are going to screw up some part of that order." Watching the cat, Lisanne could swear he tried to shrug. A difficult feat for a cat to achieve.
"So where are they? You had me pull in here. I thought they'd be waiting or something," Lisanne said irritably. Then she sighed. Raking her hands through her hair, she laughed briefly and said, "Sorry, Merlin, I'm just tired and hungry, and I don't get what the deal is with this guy and his dog. Why are we waiting for them? Why do we have to connect with them? What is their place in all this? Hell, what is our place in all this? I don't even really know where we are going! Do you?"
Merlin tilted his head and looked at her steadily, trying to decide what she was ready to hear. She'd come a long way on faith, surprising him a great deal. Lisanne, of late, had not been the poster child for logic or for faith, so Merlin was stunned they were still alive at this point. Pulling his thoughts together, he slowly nodded to Lisanne because he did, in fact, know exactly where they were going to end up.
"What?" Lisanne shouted, sitting up straight and jostling Merlin out of his perch on the seat. "You know where we're going? Why didn't you tell me? What's going on? Where are we going? What's--" she was interrupted by a knock on the window.
Lisanne scowled at Merlin as she leaned down to grab her purse from the floorboard of the car. "That will be our food, you scoundrel. But don't think this is over! Not by a long shot. Once I pay for this I'm going to find out just what's going on..." her voice faded away as Lisanne turned to the window only to find that it was not her order at all, but was instead the big black dog and the guy from the store in Hattiesburg.
"Oh, my God," she whispered. "They really did find us."
Salmon Creek, Idaho
"Well now, sure, before it all started--all the disasters, there had been some off-the-wall news reports. I remember Miss Maria doing a story on this gigantic group of ants. I remember it 'cause Gladys was watching it with me and she kinda freaked out at the thought of all those ants...yep, it was what they called a super-colony. Under some city in Australia...Sydney? Melbourne? Anyway, these ants, they weren't acting like regular ants. They didn't fight each other anymore. They just kept getting together, more and more of 'em, until this super-colony was sixty miles long! Gladys said she was sure that one day that city was just going to cave in, but I don't think ants would cause that much damage...of course, you never know, do you? All I know is, it seemed kinda...I don't know...spooky that suddenly all these millions of ants were working together. I remember thinking, why the hell would they be doing that? And Gladys, she said that if the world ever ended, it would be the bugs--roaches and ants, stuff like that--that would take over. She had nightmares for a week after that TV show. No, no...not the dreams...just good old-fashioned nightmares about ants taking over and ruling the world. Damn glad we didn't live in Australia. She woulda given me grief every day after that to move. And when the world did end...well, now, we're still here, aren't we? And no ant problem. Not yet, anyway."
Atlanta, SNN Headquarters
"I don't care where they want me to go next," Maria was saying to Phoebe and Zack as she gathered up cell phone, charger, batteries and other odds and ends to go into the duffle bag she was packing. "I've had it with death and destruction. Do they get that all we put on the news these days is death? Anybody can report that 'X' number of people have died. They don't need me for that. What they do need me for is to investigate this woman who seems to know about the disasters before they happen. If we can prove she is the real thing, maybe we can start to prevent some deaths before they happen. Maybe we could warn people and get them out of harm's way. Now that would be worth doing."
Phoebe backed up against a wall as Mar
ia scurried around the office grabbing items willy-nilly, or at least that's how it seemed to Phoebe. Maybe she shouldn't have passed on the psychic's messages to Maria. Now she seemed caught up in this woman's messages. Zack watched as Maria feverishly packed and wondered if she would let him go with her. The woman Maria had contacted said only for Maria to come to visit her. Zack had a bad feeling about that plan. Plus, he kept having those dreams....
"Maria," Zack tried tentatively, "how about calling her back and asking if you can bring me--just one cameraman." Holding up a hand to forestall her comments, he went on. "Look, I know she said only you, but if she wants to get her message out, she needs to be on camera, you know that as well as I do. For the message to seem real, she needs to be interviewed on camera by you, giving one of her predictions. Then when it comes true, it will really have an impact. Without the prediction being on camera, it won't reach the same number of people."
Maria leaned against the filing cabinet and thought about what Zack was saying. She knew he was right, that nothing made an impact like an on-camera interview with the subject. And she would feel better having him with her. "Okay, let me try to reach her and convince her. But I'm still going, even if she says no to you coming with me. That's final."
Maria shooed them out of her office and then called them back in after finishing her call with Margaret Larson. Zack looked at the dark circles under her eyes and her ashen face and wondered what new horror had taken the light from her eyes this time. Taking a deep breath, Zack commanded, "I don't care what she said, Maria, you need me with you and I'm going!"
Maria smiled weakly at him and nodded saying, "Yes, yes you are coming with me--and so are you, Phoebe."
The young woman started shaking, first in her hands and then gradually throughout her entire body, just slightly but enough to be visible. "What?" she whispered. "I--I can't go with you--I--I--I--"