{"id":388,"date":"2011-07-11T00:00:53","date_gmt":"2011-07-11T04:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=388"},"modified":"2011-07-11T00:00:53","modified_gmt":"2011-07-11T04:00:53","slug":"day-3-chapter-7-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=388","title":{"rendered":"Day 3 – Chapter 7 – 12"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The scream echoed off the buildings around them, elongating the sound.\u00a0 Marin flailed wildly and Thom struggled to hold onto her, biting back a curse as she slammed her arm into his injured ribs, setting fire to one side of his chest.\u00a0 He gasped, then caught her face in his hands.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Her eyes are still closed!\u00a0 What the hell?<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cMarin!\u00a0 Marin, wake up!\u201d\u00a0 He sucked in a breath.\u00a0 Shit. Is she dreaming?\u00a0 What the hell is she seeing?<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cWake up, damn it!\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Her eyes snapped open and her scream died into a croak followed by a ragged gasp.\u00a0 For a moment, it seemed she didn\u2019t know where she was, then she focused down on Thom\u2019s face and sagged, breathing hard.\u00a0 She wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a sob, holding on tight.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom looked at J.T. over her shoulder, feeling as shocked and worried as his friend looked.\u00a0 Kellin had appeared at J.T.\u2019s back sometime in the interim and she stood blinking at them.\u00a0 Thom cleared his throat and willed his voice to be steady.\u00a0 \u201cJay, can you go and get her something to drink?\u00a0 Doesn\u2019t matter what, just something to help her get steady.\u201d\u00a0 Thom laced his fingers through Marin\u2019s hair as he looked up at Kellin.\u00a0 \u201cThink you can make sure a crowd doesn\u2019t\u2026\u201d\u00a0 His voice trailed away as he saw some of the others appearing behind Kellin, some of them soaking wet and breathless, as if they\u2019d run here through the rain.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened?\u201d\u00a0 Kellin asked quietly.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom shook his head a little.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t know.\u00a0 She was just screaming.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI saw something,\u201d Marin whispered into Thom\u2019s neck.\u00a0 She took a deep, shaky breath and slowly uncurled, straightening and looking at Kellin.\u00a0 \u201cI saw something,\u201d she repeated, a little more loudly.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kellin\u2019s brow furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cBad?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marin nodded, pressing closer to Thom.\u00a0 He winced a little but held in any sound as he wrapped his arms around her protectively.\u00a0 Fucking ribs\u2026<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cWhat did you see?\u201d\u00a0 He murmured, stomach knotting up.\u00a0 Do I want to know the answer to that question?<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marin swallowed.\u00a0 \u201cI was standing\u2026I was standing on some sort of observation deck, looking down at trees and rock and then everything started to shake.\u00a0 I thought it would end after a few seconds, but it just got worse and worse and I started to hear this\u2026this terrible cracking sound.\u00a0 Then the ground just opened up, ripped apart.\u00a0 I could hear the earth screaming<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 She paused, shivering in Thom\u2019s arms.\u00a0 He squeezed her gently.\u00a0 Marin took another deep breath, then continued.\u00a0 \u201cI could see the glow deep down in the cracks.\u00a0 Then the shaking started again and the ground jerked and then I saw the light and heard the explosion and screaming.\u00a0 When the shockwave and the wind hit, everything went black.\u201d\u00a0 She swallowed hard.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I didn\u2019t want to know the answer to that question.<\/em>\u00a0 Thom just held her, mouth dry and heart thudding against his ribs.\u00a0 She sees things and you can\u2019t.\u00a0 She sees things and you can\u2019t.\u00a0 She sees things and you can\u2019t.\u00a0 Your dreams aren\u2019t real.\u00a0 Yours aren\u2019t real.<\/em>\u00a0 He kissed her temple gently.\u00a0 But what is it that she saw?<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDid you recognize where you were?\u201d\u00a0 Kellin asked quietly, slowly kneeling down.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marin shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t anywhere I\u2019d ever been.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat could it have been?\u201d\u00a0 Someone asked quietly behind Kellin.\u00a0 Thom couldn\u2019t quite sort out who it was.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Marin said softly.\u00a0 \u201cBut that wasn\u2019t all of it. \u00a0After the blackness, I was back here<\/em>.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t for very long, just a few seconds, but the ground was shaking and buildings were coming down.\u00a0 I could hear them coming down.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDid it feel like it was connected?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cVisions don\u2019t usually follow each other like that if they\u2019re not linked, Kel.\u201d\u00a0 Marin rubbed her eyes, some of the tension finally starting to drain from her.\u00a0 \u201cBut the shaking wasn\u2019t as bad here.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Maybe it was just a nightmare, not a vision.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There was too much doubt in her voice for any of them to believe that for more than about fifteen seconds.\u00a0 Thom just held her, brow furrowed.\u00a0 She sees.\u00a0 I can\u2019t.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cKel, maybe we should make sure that we don\u2019t have anyone in any buildings.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kellin paused, then nodded, glancing back over her shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cRory?\u00a0 Dav?\u00a0 Think you can handle that?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll do a head-count.\u201d\u00a0 He stayed nearby long enough to count the heads crowded around them before slipping off into the rest of the tent.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDo you think anyone would be able to tell where that was, Mar?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She shook her head in response to Kellin.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t see enough of anything before the shaking started to be able to describe it very well.\u00a0 I just know that it wasn\u2019t anywhere I\u2019d ever been.\u00a0 That\u2019s not very helpful, though.\u201d\u00a0 She slumped against Thom and sighed, seeming to notice the audience that had gathered for the first time.\u00a0 \u201c\u2026don\u2019t you people have something else you should<\/em> be doing?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom winced at her tone and ran a palm along her arm.\u00a0 \u201cThat was a little harsh,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019d even be harsh for me<\/em>.\u00a0 You okay?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMy head\u2019s pounding,\u201d she murmured back.\u00a0 \u201cSomething isn\u2019t right.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What was your first clue?<\/em>\u00a0 Thom bit his tongue and kissed her temple, wrapping his arms around her again.\u00a0 Some of their unintended audience had started to drift away, leaving them alone with Kellin.\u00a0 She watched them both for a long moment, then cleared her throat.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAny trigger, Marin?\u201d\u00a0 She asked softly.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNo,\u201d Marin said, staring at her lap.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I was dreaming something before I had it, but if I was, I don\u2019t remember what it was now.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 J.T. appeared with a mug of something steaming and pressed it into Marin\u2019s hands, then sat back down on the ground and resumed work on Thom\u2019s ankle as if nothing happened.\u00a0 Marin cradled the mug between both hands and leaned against Thom, staring into the dark depths of the coffee.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMaybe it was just a nightmare,\u201d she repeated softly.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There would be a first time for everything, <\/em>Thom thought, and just held her.\u00a0 It was all the comfort he had left to give.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The scream echoed off the buildings around them, elongating the sound.\u00a0 Marin flailed wildly and Thom struggled to hold onto her, biting back a curse as she slammed her arm into his injured ribs, setting fire to one side … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-7","category-day-3"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-6g","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}