SURGE

by Donna Elliott

  “Then you’re in luck,” he quips, and his eyes crinkle while he smiles, “for I know a great deal of card games…Get it? A great deal?”

  Oh man, it is way too early for corny jokes. I offer a small snort, shut my eyes, and shake my head. “You’re not destined for the stage, Eric. Just pick a game.”

  Over the next hour, Eric proceeds to teach me how to play Kings on the Corner, Speed, and Gin Rummy. The first two games rely on basic attention skills. I’m not operating at full capacity just yet, so I make a few observational mistakes. However, during the practice Rummy games, I discover that I’m quite adept at making runs and collecting sets.

  We start keeping score, and I notice that I have a hidden talent for remembering the cards that have already been played, so it isn’t long before I declare, “Gin! I win!” Eric deals the cards once more, and I see that my hand is quite promising. Within two turns, I laugh and say, “Gin! I win! A-gain! This is a fun game, Eric! I can see why you like it.”

  My overzealous cackle awakens Raul, and he strolls over. “Dang Mya, that laugh could wake the dead.”

  My smile turns into a slight sneer. “I’ll keep that in mind if I ever have the urge to laugh in a cemetery. Care to play a game, or did you come over just to insult me?”

  Raul walks closer to where I’m sitting and looks down at me like a hunched-back vulture. “I came over to see what all the racket was, but now I’m hungry. What’s for breakfast?”

  I can’t resist a snarky reply while I sweep my arm toward the boxes beside Eric. “We have your bacon, eggs, and hash browns sitting on the stovetop, Raul. Go help yourself.”

  That comment earns me a raised eyebrow and flared nostrils. Raul’s mouth turns downward just as I say, “There are some Pop-Tarts and stuff in a box over there. It’s not quite as good as Eric’s sugar cookie feast, but it’ll do.”

  A few more minutes tick by, and some of the others begin to stir. Matthew is a morning person and awakens with a smile, although it’s only just daybreak. He practically bounces across the room in search of his morning meal. He finds a cereal bar, and after inhaling it in two bites, he grabs a second one and walks over to join our group.

  In contrast, Kat is a walking zombie. Her eyes are barely open, her hair is sticking out at odd angles, and she’s shuffling across the floor like a ninety-three-year-old woman. I know that she needs time to get her brain synapses firing, so I focus on the others and silently hand her my other Pop-Tart. She sits down next to my chair and leans her head against my leg. It’s going to be another thirty minutes before she’s ready to socialize.

  ◌◌◌

  After eating, I wash up and decide to explore my surroundings a bit. I’ve never seen this part of Raul’s land, and I need some time to myself, to think. Last night was pretty scary, and the experience has totally ruined my memories of the pool.

  Small dirt clouds kick up from the ground as I drag my feet and quietly hum. I’m just wandering around aimlessly. After a bit, I bend over, pull a dandelion from the ground, and slowly begin plucking its petals. A small yellow trail marks my path, until the flower top is bald, and I thoughtlessly cast the green stem to the ground.

  I haven’t been paying attention to where I’m going and have ended up at Raul’s house. My steps slow as I cross the deck, and I stop, once I reach the edge of the pool’s shallow end.

  I’ve always loved the water, but now, I have no interest in ever swimming again. That horrible feeling of being stuck on the bottom of the pool weighs heavily. I was so certain that I would die.

  As I gaze into the shimmering liquid, my chest tightens, and my breathing quickens. I tell myself that I’m being silly, and I decide to relax in a lounge chair for a bit. Thinking that a small nap might be nice, I close my eyes.

  ◌◌◌

  My mother’s voice echoes in my ears, and I awaken. I’m a bit disoriented, but quickly remember that I’d gone for a walk. I jump to my feet and run down the path.

  She must hear my approach, for as I round the final curve, she lowers her cupped hands from around her mouth and gives me a smile of relief.

  “I was beginning to worry,” she says. “You guys left hours ago.”

  “I’m sorry,” I say. “I fell asleep in a lounge chair by the DeLaPortilla’s pool.”

  She reaches out and runs the palm of her hand down the side of my hair. “You’ve got to be more aware now, Mya,” she says. “Since the phones no longer work, there’s no way for me to get in touch with you. You need to let me know where you’ll be, so I don’t worry. Where are Raul and Eric?”

  I shrug and shake my head. “I wasn’t with the guys.”

  “I thought you were all together. They each left the barn right after you did.” She crosses her arms and rubs her hands up and down her biceps and shoulders. “Where could those boys be?”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me to find out they went to town,” I say. “Neither one of them has much patience.”

  She looks at me and her brow bunches up. “I hope you’re wrong; that wouldn’t be a very smart thing to do. It’s dangerous right now, and if they get into trouble, there’s no one available to help.”

  Just as she finishes her lecture, Raul appears from the front of the barn. “Hey,” he says. “You guys tired of being cooped up inside too? I’m not used to so many people being around; I had to get out for a bit.”

  He stops when he reaches my side and throws his arm over my shoulder. “You left pretty quickly this morning, Mya. Everything ok?”

  I smile a little and nod. “Yep, I’m good.” I twist a bit to look toward the barn. “Is Eric with you? Mom says that we all disappeared hours ago, and she was getting worried.”

  “I haven’t seen Eric for a while,” he says, “but I’ll help you look.”

  I explain that I need to go inside for a minute to answer the call of Mother Nature. When I return, Eric is talking with Raul and Mom.

  “Look who just showed up,” says Raul. “Eric says he went down to the street to check out the electrical wires.” His eyes circle skyward before continuing, “I bet you couldn’t guess this, but all the wires are fried. Looks like we won’t be watching TV or baking a cake anytime soon.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Everyone’s curious about the events in town. The men still haven’t returned, and the moms are whispering among themselves. Meanwhile, the rest of us are guessing at the damage.

  I walk over to the ladder leading to the loft and begin climbing. “I want to have a look toward town. Anyone else interested?”

  All six of us make the ascent. This upper area has been used primarily for storage and is rather dusty. My feet leave tracks as I cross the planks toward the large window in the back. With little effort, Raul manages to lift the pane, providing an unhindered view, along with a strong breeze.

  Looking toward town, we can’t see any homes or businesses, but we can see dark smoke rising in the distance and swirling in the wind. Numerous gray plumes escape toward the sky, and it’s evident that the central streets of Harrow are on fire.

  Ever the altruistic person, Kat murmurs, “I hope everyone’s ok. Surely there’s something we should be doing to help.”

  “We need to stay out of the way,” says Emily. When her brother makes a slight movement, she snaps her head to the side and glares at him. “Don’t even think about it, Eric. Dad will have a fit if he comes back, and we aren’t here.”

  “I wasn’t planning to go anywhere,” he says, crossing his arms. “I know we’re better off staying here. I’m sure Dad will come back soon and tell us everything that’s happening.”

  It’s still early, so I suggest we tidy up our sleeping areas and head outside. None of us has any plans, so we decide to proceed as if it were any other weekend or until someone tells us to do otherwise.

  I slip down the ladder and walk to where my bundle of blankets lay. Kat and I stack our things against the wall and head over to Eric’s sister.

  “Emily, you’re welcome to crash w
ith us tonight,” I offer. “I should have suggested it last night, but with everything that happened, I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to go to sleep.”

  A delighted smile crosses her face, and Emily picks up her sleeping bag and pillows. “Thanks,” she says. “My mom’s so nervous about everything, and it’s driving me crazy. She doesn’t want me to do anything because she’s afraid something bad is going to happen. It’ll be good to have a little space…and she can still see me, so she’ll know I’m fine.”

  While we drop off Emily’s things, Raul comes running over carrying a pillow. Speaking in a high falsetto, he says, “Oh girlfriends, can I share your sleeping space too? I’m in need of some serious girl talk.”

  “I’m sure you are,” I answer with a giggle, “but if you keep acting like this, no girl is ever going to talk to you again.”

  Raul pretends to be offended and flips his hair from his face as he turns and stomps back to where Matthew and Eric are putting their bed rolls. I catch snippets of their conversation and hear Raul say that we won’t let him sleep with us.

  Eric looks our way and raises his shoulders a little. Turning, he bends over and begins searching through a box sitting next to his things. He pulls out a fluorescent orange Frisbee and waggles it at me. “Care to play?”

  I’m certainly up for a little running around. I need to get out of this barn and into some fresh air. “Sure, why not.”

  I am no athlete. I’m short, slow and cautious. Games like softball and tennis are far beyond my abilities, but give me a plastic disc, and suddenly, I’m an Olympic competitor. As long as we aren’t playing tackle Frisbee football, this should be fun.

  We all head outside and form a circle in the grass. It’s a sunny day, but the strong breeze adds a challenge to our entertainment. We begin by flinging the disc back and forth. After a few throws, I remember to keep my toss level, and the Frisbee glides smoothly across the air into Raul’s waiting hands.

  After practicing, we form two lines facing each other and make up a game. After each toss and catch, everyone takes a step backward. Our goal is to see how far apart we can get before missing the catch. It’s sort of like a water balloon toss, but easier.

  We discover very quickly that Kat and Matthew can’t pass or catch, so the game keeps starting over. We finally make it to three steps out, and once again Kat fumbles. As the Frisbee slips past our line and hits the ground, Raul runs over to Kat, rubs her curls around on her head, and pretends to give her a noogie, “The Miller mess up strikes again!”

  Kat shrieks and pushes him away. “Go pick on someone else, you big bully!” She collapses on the ground and laughs. “I’m terrible at this game. How can I be so terrible at this?”

  “You’re good at other things,” I say, extending my hand to help her stand. “Let’s try something else.”

  Just before our palms connect, the static that’s built up in the air produces a small shock to each of us.

  I quickly snatch my hand away and laugh a little. “Yow! Kat! I think you can get up on your own.”

  Simultaneously, Kat jerks backward, “Thanks, but no thanks Mya. I think I can manage.”

  “Man!” says Matthew. “I could even see the spark!”

  “It’s Raul’s fault,” laughs Kat. “You caused an electric shock when you rubbed my hair!”

  Putting his hands in front of him in false protection, Raul says, “Hey, it’s not my fault that your mass of curls creates a magnetic field when touched.”

  While the others joke around, I walk across the lawn to retrieve the forgotten toy. I look down at my right hand and feel an itch along the top of my fingers, so I gently touch the pad of my thumb across each tip.

  A chill runs up my arm, and I give a slight shiver. Raising my hand closer to my face, I stare as I rub my thumb in a small circle around the top of my index finger. A small, yellow glow begins to form, and I tilt my head to look at the phenomenon from a different angle.

  The shine gets a little brighter, and my breathing quickens. I slowly pull my thumb and finger apart, and the yellow glow stretches into a thick line, as if some sort of radioactive goo is on me.

  Eric’s voice suddenly calls out from behind. I give a slight jump and yank my hand down to my side.

  “What’re you doing, Mya? Are you going to pick up the Frisbee or just stand there?”

  I turn around quickly and clench my hand into a fist. “I’ll get it,” I say. “I guess my mind was just wandering for a minute there.”

  I bend over, begin to reach out with my right hand, then pause. Using my left hand, I snatch up the disc and pass it to Eric.

  Strange and scary thoughts are coursing through my mind right now. I’m not sure what just happened. I’m not even sure if it really did happen. Maybe my head is messed up from last night’s little adventure. Maybe I’m hallucinating. Or, maybe an itchy, glowing light is actually forming between my fingers.

  I reach up to my face with my left hand and rub my temple, as Eric and I join the others. “Um…I think I need to go rest a bit. I’m feeling a little funny.”

  I turn toward Kat, and wondering if she too is experiencing an itch or glow, I motion for her to join me. “Would you mind coming with me?” Her eyebrows arch up in a question, but she doesn’t hesitate to jump to her feet.

  Emily also stands and comes over. “Are you ok?” she asks. “Is there anything I can do? Would you like me to get your mom?”

  “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think we need to worry my mom. I’m sure I’m fine; I just feel a little off right now.”

  I really want to talk to Kat alone, but I don’t want to hurt Emily’s feelings by excluding her. “Would you like to go inside and rest with us?”

  A sympathetic smile crosses her face before she declines. “If you need me, I’ll be happy to join you, but I think maybe you and Kat should go. I’ll stay here and see what the others have planned.”

  I nod my head in gratitude and turn with Kat toward the barn. Rather than go inside and lie down, we continue walking on the path that leads to the DeLaPortilla’s home.

  ◌◌◌

  Our trek is quiet. Exiting the path, we cross the yard and mount the deck. I walk over to the pool and stare down into the rippling, blue liquid. A wavy reflection looks back at me, and I squint while I search for any signs of a glowing aura around my body.

  Turning away from me, Kat quietly says, “Why don’t we go sit on the lounge chairs, Mya, and you can tell me what’s going on.”

  Once we’re seated, I lie back, exhale a deep breath, and close my eyes. I hear Kat turn toward me, but she’s patient and doesn’t prod. After a couple of minutes, I roll onto my left side and face her.

  “Something really weird happened earlier,” I begin. “Did you notice anything after we shocked each other?”

  “Like what?”

  I lift my right hand and glance at it. “My fingers itched. Did yours?”

  “Did my fingers itch? No. But my scalp tingled.” Her left hand reaches up and touches the top of her head. “I just figured it was from Raul rubbing my hair around. Do they still itch?”

  I sit up a little and look toward the path. I’m concerned that the others may have followed, and I want to make sure Kat and I are alone. “No,” I say, while scanning the area. “But I want to try something without everyone else knowing.”

  Kat sits up and puts her feet on the ground. “Do you wanna go someplace else?”

  I put my feet next to hers, bow my head and curve my shoulders. When she leans in, I begin to rotate my thumb in a small circle around the pad of my index finger. Like before, a small yellow glow forms along the path of the circle.

  “Oh my gosh,” Kat says with awe. “How are you doing that?”

  “I have no idea,” I say, lifting my head to look her in the eyes. “Can you do it?”

  Confusion covers her face before she answers. “Why would I be able to do that? How are you even able to do that? And while we’re on the subject, what is th
at?”

  “I don’t know what it is. I guess a spark of some sort.” I gesture toward her hand. “Please, try to do it. I’m working on a possible theory, and I’d like to see if you can do it too.”

  “K,” she says doubtfully. “What am I supposed to do? Just rub my fingers together?”

  “Very lightly touch them and rub around in a circle. The itch should increase and make you want to press harder.” Showing her, while I explain, I increase the pressure and speed of my thumb, and the glow gets brighter.

  Kat nods and brings her fingers together. After a minute of rubbing, no light or spark has formed. “I can’t do it. Sorry. Did you really think I’d be able to?”

  Disappointment clouds my thoughts, and I lean back onto the lounge chair with a loud thump. “I thought it was from the pool. From what happened when we were in the water. If I can do it, you should be able to do it too, right? We were both stuck down there.”

  I bite my lip, run my fingers through my hair, and stand up. “I don’t know what’s happening,” I say. “My fingers itch right now, but they aren’t glowing.”

  With steady strides, I pace the deck until frustration overwhelms me, and I slump against the side of the house. I turn my head toward Kat, ready to continue with my complaints, when I notice her eyes look upward and her lips part in a sudden smile.

  “The lights are on!” she says. “The electricity is back on!”

  I step away from the house and spin to look at the lights, but can see only darkness inside.

  “Oh, they’re out again,” she says. “They must be working on the lines. You know how they flicker off and on during the repairs.”

  “Were they really on?” I skeptically ask. “Or are you just trying to cheer me up?”

  “No! They were on,” she says. “We should go tell the others! I’ll bet everything will be back to normal in a couple of days.”

  I look down at my hand and splay my fingers. “Don’t say anything to the others about the glow just yet, ok? Maybe that’ll be back to normal in a couple of days too.”