by Pamela Davis
Merlin growled. Lisanne opened lavender eyes wide at the Sergeant. "Nothing about the attack--but he just got rid of my headache! Is that fucking amazing, or what?"
Wachowski jammed the cigar into the corner of his mouth. "It's fucking something, all right, just not sure what." Then he stomped off, grumbling, "Damn cats, kids, astronomers--can't someone just give me a straight answer? Cured her headache, humph."
The Samuels' House
Mrs. Philpott sat in a wicker chair on the patio with Perceval in her lap, watching the newcomers in the backyard. Nathan and Andy had taken over the barbeque grills since John was surrounded by people asking questions. The smell of hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken almost done wafted over the gathering. The clouds had cleared away, so they sat under a bright blue sky. But Mrs. Philpott wasn't relaxed. Neither was Perceval. And as she looked across the lawn, Mrs. Philpott saw that Samantha seemed tense as well. A group of children aged eight through sixteen were gathered around her, laughing. A group of various animals were getting to know each other, but Sam was quiet. Her little face suddenly looked...scared.
Mrs. Philpott stood up and located Jessica talking to Alexandra. As she approached them, she asked sharply, "Are either of you watching Sam?"
Jessica turned quickly to glance over at her daughter. "What is it? What's wrong? Is something--"
"Yes, Jessica, something is about to happen, and I think Sam knows it. She looks terrified," Mrs. Philpott replied.
Jessica ran over to her daughter. Alex stayed by Mrs. Philpott's side and, taking the older woman's elbow, commented, "You look white as a sheet, Mrs. P. Why don't you come sit down and tell me what's going on?"
Mrs. Philpott shook Alex's hand off her arm angrily. "I'm not decrepit yet, Alexandra. I can walk and stand just fine by myself. And what's about to happen is the end of the East Coast. The wave."
Alex's eyes got wide and she said, "Oh! Oh...it's really going to happen? Yes, I can see by your face and I had a short dream last night...but...oh, no."
Jessica reached Sam's side just as the little girl stood stock-still and let out a scream. Everyone in the backyard froze in place and heard the child's voice crying and wailing over and over, "No! No, no, no, please no--" after which she collapsed into her mother's arms and passed out.
Power Station, Table Rock Lake Dam
"Oh, my god, oh, my god, oh, my god," Lisanne whispered again and again. Merlin mewled softly while she clung to him as if her life depended on it. Sergeant Wachowski took one look at her and shoved her into a chair. Her face was completely drained of blood, completely white.
"Come on, now, girl, put your head down between your knees. You look like you're gonna pass out on me--" and then he stopped talking as he got a sense, a vague nebulous feeling, washing over him, of unease--then a stronger feeling of horror.
Sitting abruptly in his own chair, he said, "What the hell? What the fucking hell is this?"
Tears pouring down her face, Lisanne managed to look at him briefly and said, "Tsunami."
On board private jet heading West
Zack reached for Maria's hands and squeezed them tightly just as she began to feel...uneasy. This feeling, she thought...what is this? As she watched Zack's face go grim, and then look as if he was in pain, she felt the sensation change to a feeling of...terror.
Nearby, Cleo was meowing loudly, over and over on Phoebe's lap, as Phoebe cried. Alan Beakman moved to sit next to Phoebe saying, "You too? Oh, man, this is horrible." He leaned over and took one of Phoebe's hands in his. "Hang on to me, Phoebes...this can't last forever. I hope."
Mayor Dubois had stood up at the front of the plane at the first twinges of something wrong. Something was very wrong, she felt. But what? Where? She saw Maria and Zack--both were in tears. Phoebe was crying, which was nothing new, really, but Alan, her unshakable assistant, looked scared to death next to her.
And Margaret...as the mayor's gaze fell on Margaret, she was stunned. All these feelings floating in the air, and Margaret...Margaret was sitting calmly, peeling an orange.
Dusty sank down into her seat again, feeling waves of fear flow over her. What is happening to me, she thought, somewhat panicked now. What the hell is this?
From the back of the plane, she heard Zack's voice cracking as he said, "The tsunami--it's happening."
Dusty muttered, "Oh, damn it all to hell," as she watched Margaret across the aisle continue peeling her orange. She thought she just might not ever be able to eat an orange after this...this...nightmare.
Salmon Creek, Idaho
"Oh, we didn't have TV out here by the time the President made his famous speech. But I've seen videos of it. Yep, declared war on the planet Earth, he did. Which maybe would have been okay, if he'd said that and then all those government types would have seen he was whacko. But see, he'd already given the orders and the bomb was already in place. So there just weren't no way left to stop him. And then, some people who saw the speech--well, they thought he was nuts, you know? And didn't believe he'd done anything at all. So even after when Miss Maria got on the air and told them all it was true, that they needed to run away--well now, they didn't believe her. Guess only those who were gettin' the dreams knew enough to leave. And like we all know now, not everybody was gettin' the same kinds of dreams...so lots of 'em just stayed right where they were, sitting ducks when that big ole wave came crashing in on them. It was a shame, really, that nobody could do anything to stop it."
Eastern Seaboard
Ships out at sea were probably the luckiest ones. The wave was barely perceptible when it reached them. But as it raced in toward shore, the height grew and grew. In places along the coast, the water appeared to suddenly drain away, leaving the sandy ocean floor uncovered for a minute or two. And the first wave was only the beginning. It was the smaller one, about thirty feet high. The two waves following it were much, much higher.
Andrea and Charlie were in their canoe on the Hudson River. They had laughed at the warning on TV earlier about a tsunami. It was nutty, but then lately, the whole world seemed like it was going insane. What was one more news reporter? Andrea remembered the news report as she looked up to see an impossibility before her--a solid wall of water. In the few seconds she had left to think, she wondered how a wave so huge could be in a river. Weren't tsunamis supposed to be in oceans? Charlie dove overboard and tried to swim to land. He was pummeled into the river bottom by the weight of water.
Professor James Wright was packing up his Toyota, deciding this morning that he'd err on the side of caution. He'd dismissed his classes at Boston University realizing finally that if the TV report was right, he needed to move to higher ground. He'd debated it within himself over and over, never one to rush into anything...but it was better to be safe than sorry. He was just wrapping up the print-out of his first novel--the one that had taken ten years to write, the one he'd sweat blood over. As he lovingly set it inside his suitcase, he heard a roaring, crashing sound. He ran to the window and saw something. What the hell was that? What was he looking at? The last coherent thought in his head was, "Oh, shit!" as pieces of buildings crashed through his window, debris carried by the giant wave crushing him.
Monty lived in the penthouse of his apartment building. He owned the apartment; hell, he owned the building, something which gave him quite a sense of satisfaction. He spent hours each day on the balcony, working from his laptop. He heard the noise first, noticed because it was a different noise than the normal sound of cars and trucks on the streets far below. As he peered out over the balcony railing, his stomach clenched in a spasm of sheer terror. There was...a flood...a flood? In downtown Manhattan? No, surely not...because...that was too much water. That water was very high. And moving very fast. And it was filled with....mannequins? No, wait, not mannequins. Those were...bodies. Lots of bodies...and cars and trucks and houses and streetlights and signs and bodies and bodies and bodies.
President Jeb Coulter grunted with satisfaction as he hung up the phone. There,
he'd done it, taken care of the problem. He'd just received the final report from his task force letting him know the bomb had indeed gone off as planned. And nothing had destroyed the city. Ha! Those idiots who said he was crazy, well, let's just see what they said when--
The Secret Service burst into the room running, but even they couldn't outrun the force of nature that pursued them. The Oval Office was swept away in a heartbeat, the President was killed instantly, and the wave continued on unabated as it crashed through streets through lowlying areas in seconds, smashing buildings, homes, monuments, creating smaller, yet still deadly tidal waves in the surrounding rivers and streams.
In the space of several minutes, the government of the United States ceased to exist.
The Samuels' House
Andy's connection to Waldo and to the feelings they were all experiencing to various degrees nearly froze him in place in the Samuels' backyard. But he held onto one thought--was Lisanne okay? He knew her connection to Merlin was even stronger than his to Waldo, which meant she could be in lots more trouble than he was having. Tossing down the long-handled spatula, he raced through the crowd of shaking, crying people, Waldo on his heels. He had to get to Lisanne.
Jessica sat on the grass holding Samantha in her lap, slowly rocking her back and forth. John kneeled down next to her, reaching a hand out to brush blonde wisps of hair from the child's sweaty face. Jessica's voice shook as she said, "I think she's going into shock. Sweaty one minute, then chilled and shaking. Get Mark, will you? I don't know if we should even move her."
As John stood to find the doctor, Alex rushed up with Mark in tow. "It's more important he treat her than anyone else here," Alex announced defensively. Then she realized that everyone gathered around agreed with her, judging from all the nodding heads.
"Here, stand back, all of you," Mark commanded. He took her pulse and watched Sam's face. She had a tortured look--not like someone who was completely out. More like someone dreaming. Hmm. Perhaps she was, in a way. Or in some kind of self-induced trance. Or induced by something else.
"Can you help her, Mark?" Jessica asked fearfully. "Is she going to be all right?"
"I think we need to move her indoors, into her own bed. And yes, I think she'll be just fine," he announced in a louder voice. "Those of you who are feeling steadier, help anyone around you who feels shaky or faint. For some of you, this...thing...we just went through is already passing. It looks like it will take longer for others of you." As he finished speaking, he recognized that his own insides still felt pretty shook up, but the old medical training was coming through for him, thank god. He glanced at Alex standing next to him and saw that she was pale and that her eyes were wider than usual, but she was as calm as he was--which, okay, wasn't saying a lot, but she was doing better than some folks here.
She turned to him and put a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, I'll get things organized out here. You just go be with Sam and her parents."
He smiled gratefully at her and took off behind John, who was carrying Sam into the house.
Salmon Creek, Idaho
"It was pretty much the end of it all--almost the end. The last really big thing. Sure, the San Francisco quake came after it, but let's face it--the numbers of folks who died there weren't nothin' compared to New York City, Washington D.C., Boston, and, oh, just all those towns in between. They say it was the worst from the Mid-Atlantic part of the East Coast right up to Maine and into Canada. It was just a monster of a disaster. There wasn't no way to recover from it. Too much had already happened. Maybe if the rest of the world had been doing okay--only it wasn't. Not with typhoons and monsoons and earthquakes and volcanoes and well, you know, all the usual. All the usual natural disasters, only they all happened at once, everywhere, over like a month's time or so. Nobody was in any shape, no country was, to help out anyone else. Everybody took so long to realize what was happening. How bad it was. And then it was too late. Of course, some places didn't get hit by disasters. Some got into trouble when the food ran out in grocery stores and no more showed up. And some survived some big events only to die of diseases or injuries later. Then, naturally, you also had the people that just went crazy, or the people who were always gonna do the bad thing, the wrong thing, the hateful things they'd hidden deep in their hearts, hopin' to do them if they ever had half a chance. And sure as I'm sittin' here, that kind did, by god, get their chance. Lots of cruel people out there."
Chapter 19
Power People Home, Table Rock Lake
Andy had arrived at the Power Station and gathered Lisanne up in his arms without a word, just nodding to Sergeant Wachowski and heading out to his car. As she sobbed against his chest, he had realized, understood for the first time and faced finally--that he loved her. And he'd suddenly known how silly he'd been to wait to tell her that. If today showed them anything, if the past weeks had taught them anything about life, it was that life was unexpected. You never knew how long you had here, what sharp bend in the road would lead you off in a direction you never expected. And he knew now that whatever the road up ahead had in store for him, he wanted Lisanne always by his side.
"Shh, baby, it'll be okay," he said quietly. "I'm not sure how, but it will be okay, Lisanne."
As they arrived at back at the house high above the lake, she leaned against him as he led the way into her room. "Here, lie down now, let me get you some water or something," he said.
"No! No, don't leave--not yet," Lisanne cried out. Then she seemed to hear what she'd said, embarrassment coloring her face at sounding so needy. A face still filled with fear, but not quite as intensely.
Andy sat down on the bed next to her and took her hand. "Lisanne, I'm not leaving--not ever. I love you, and I'll be here with you always...if you'll let me."
He watched her face anxiously, that pale face with the perfect skin, the large lavender eyes, all the mascara washed away by the tears. Really such a very dear, sweet face. He saw the fear leaving her, saw it replaced by surprise, then by--did those slowly curving red lips, that soft smile, did that mean--?
Yes, he decided, as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him tentatively and then more deeply. That look was one of happiness, of love. His arms tightened around her as he forgot everything but her, felt nothing but his feelings for her.
They never noticed Merlin and Waldo leaving the room.
The Samuels' House
"Sam, Samantha, come on honey, come back," Jessica said, wiping a cool cloth over her daughter's face. She watched as Sam tossed and turned, seemingly in the grip of something nobody could stop.
"It's not working, Mark," John said, frustrated and worried now.
"Yes, I can see that, and I don't know what we should do," Mark replied. The concern in his voice was stronger than the fear. But the fear was there as well. Everyone else seemed to be recovering from whatever had overtaken them all. Sam, however, was still in it. And he realized how much they had all come to depend on her. This little girl who knew so much.
Jessica turned to face the two men, a resolute expression on her face. "Go get Mrs. Philpott, Perceval, and Harry," she ordered abruptly. "I know we thought Harry should be kept away because he was shaking so badly, but she needs him. Get them and bring them out to the rock. I showed you that place, John. The rock in the circle of trees."
"What--" John began, only to be cut off by his wife.
"Just do it, John, now!" Jessica commanded. Then wrapping Sam in a light cotton blanket from her bed, she carried her from the room.
As she approached the trees, Jessica felt calmer. This will work, she thought. It has to work. She laid Sam down in the middle of the large rock, then climbed up on the rock herself and sat close to her daughter. She heard John and Harry and the others come crashing through the woods around them. Harry got there first, and jumped up to be next to Sam, laying his head down on Sam's lap.
"Okay, whoa!" Jessica called out to the panting people in front of her. "Mrs. Philpott, you come close and see if
Perceval thinks he should be on the rock with us. Mark and Alex, you guys stand back some--I don't think you are as connected. John, you come stand here and hold one of Sam's hands." Then she noticed Black was there.
"Yes, good, the Protector is here," she said in a satisfied voice. "Come close and have White nearby."
As they all took their positions, a part of Jessica marveled at her sudden sureness. What they were about to do, this felt right. Even if she didn't understand it, she knew her actions were supposed to happen.
"Now, in a few seconds we are all going to open our minds up, clear them of all thought, just connect with the animals, the trees, the rock. Mark and Alex--don't interrupt unless someone is in danger of dying or something, okay?"
Mark just nodded dumbly. Alex stood close to him, gripping his right hand.
"All right, let's do this thing and bring Samantha back. Remember, that is the goal--we have to bring Sam back to us. She's lost, I can see that now. We have to find her, and bring her back."
With that, Jessica closed her eyes and let her mind float free, open to the trees...to the rock...to find Sam. And was suddenly plunged into chaos.
The Farm
Clay was scared. Scared by the feelings that had come over him earlier. Scared by the fact that Abby was no better. And now scared by the phone call from his son, Nathan. Something was wrong with Sam.
He sat at the kitchen table with Gracie and gripped his coffee cup. "Nobody there knows what's going on. They just know something is wrong. Nathan says Alex told him they were going to do something to help her as she ran out the door--something about trees and a rock."
Gracie's eyebrows rose. "Trees and a rock? Have they all lost their minds?" Then she winced at how that might sound to a man whose wife was clearly losing hers.
"It's okay, Gracie. I won't ever believe Abby's crazy or insane--just in denial, just too scared. Like maybe we all should have been in dealing with this. Samantha shouldn't have to be doing what she does! Why have we all just accepted it, as if it were fine and normal?"