posted on Jul, 13 2009 @ 10:38 AM
They backtracked around the side of the old farmhouse, only this time veered from the path which led back into the city. They took a path which
hadn't been used in quite some time. It led to an old abandoned well, a quarter of a mile or so down past the house, the old run-down chicken coops,
and dilapidated grain silos. Joel had already been there, and suggested they hide in the well until he got back, then they would figure out what to
do.
They looked down into the well seeing only a slight glistening of water, and otherwise darkness. There was an old bucket, and even an old galvanized
dipper lying in the dirt beside it. They dropped them down into it, only to watch them fall, trying to gage how far it was to the bottom. They gave
a quick tug to the rope which still hung in it's place, finding it still strong. Danielle watched as Cat grabbed the rope, balanced herself on the
rim of the well, and began rappelling down the sides. She waited for Cat to give her the okay, then Danielle began her own venture down into the
pitch and damp darkness.
Joel had known they would have no problems getting there. Before the war started, the three of them often took hikes into the mountains, rappelling
over cliffs, spelunking in caves both underground and under water. She now knew those days were over for good. What happened in the span of a few
hours, had changed their lives irrevocably.
They never realized what they viewed back then only as fun and recreation, would become survival skills now. Clearly Joel had been here already.
They used a lighter to see he had dropped down some supplies, and they used it to light one of the candles that was in the bundle. Conversation was
short. They were both exhausted. It seemed like they'd been running in circles all day. Her legs ached. Her mouth felt parched.
From the puddle of water, she cupped her hands full, and drank. She patted some of the black water over her lips. Then she fell asleep.
She awoke expecting to be freezing, but rather was warm. Joel was there, sleeping next to Cat. Cat was sleeping sitting up, as was Danielle, and
Joel had curled around, with his head in Cat's lap. He had made a small fire in the bucket. It was enough. She could see from the top of the well,
it was just starting to get light. The dawning of a new day. She was saddened thinking about what it might bring. Images of the days before played
through her mind as she watched Joel and her sister sleep.
How did things get this way, she wondered. They had only wanted to help. But they had gone too far. Things had gotten out of hand in a very short
period of time. It had been........disastrous.
Danielle blamed her mother. When Cat was born, Danielle was already seven. Her mother started in almost immediately. "Cat is special, Cat has
powers, Cat can move her toys around in her playpen without touching them". Maybe if her mother had just let it go. Maybe no one would have
noticed.
Because they were the only two children, Danielle and Cat had spent much of their time together. Yes, Danielle had noticed things, too. Especially
after Cat met Joel, which was in first grade. They were drawn towards one another the first time they met. It had been instantaneous. They had been
together since then. Inseparable.
It was long suspected they communicated telepathically. Always looking at each other, quietly. They would have a glance, then rise simultaneously
and go outside, or to some other venue or endeavor. Their mother questioned both children about it, but they admitted nothing. As they grew older,
it became much more evident, but they still didn't speak about it, and people finally stopped asking.
Danielle's eyes again fell on Joel, still sleeping. His eyelids were moving rapidly. "He's dreaming", she thought, wondering what it was about.
Then she noticed Cat's eyelids were in the same state of rapid movement. They were almost in sync. "Good Lord", she thought, "are they
communicating now? Sharing the same dream?" Danielle sighed heavily.
She saw that Joel's clothing was burned, and he had burns on his hands. There was dried blood on his face. She remembered what happened in the gym
at school. Was it two days ago? Three? The whole group of them, sixty, maybe, had called the community together to "talk to them." They had heard
about what was going on in other towns. The Indigo's were being tracked down and either killed or imprisoned, by armies of terrified and angry
vigilantes. Joel and Cat thought the animosities were born from fear, and they wanted to "set the record straight". Things seemed to go fine as
long as they were just sharing information. But when Joel, Cat, and some of the others decided to give a "demonstration." That's when it all went
wrong. So wrong.
Joel had taken the lead position, in the center of the stage that had been set up in the gym at the junior college. He turned, glanced at his friends
who were standing behind him. Then, like on cue, the lights above began flickering off and on. Papers started flying around the room. Women's
purses. There was a charge, like lightening, that everybody saw and felt. But when Joel opened his arms, and began radiating light from his entire
body to the point you could barely stand to look at him, and a few others stepped beside him to demonstrate the same phenomenon, there was immediate
pandemonium and chaos. People panicked and began running and screaming. You could hear shouts of "stop them!" and "God help us!". People were
praying and some sobbing in fear. (Both the townspeople and even some of the Indigos). But nobody backed down.
Law enforcement was rushed in to try and contain the hysteria. Guns were drawn, and the Indigos fought back. They turned many bullets back towards
the shooters, but nonetheless many of them died right there in the gym. Sims, an Indigo whose powers were rivaled only by Joel's, had become so
confused he gazed angrily into the crowd, and suddenly, it seemed like everything ignited. Everything that could burn, did. People fought, even as
their clothing burned. As far as the townspeople were concerned, that single act was a declaration of war.
(Continued)