The sky above shattered with heat lightning, leaving a charge of electricity that settled on Hope's damp skin. She could practically taste it in the air — a flavor of power so formidable Zeus himself would singe himself in an effort to wield it.
"Are you sure we should be out here?" Chloe asked apprehensively as she glanced up at the sky and down at the vigil.
Timid as she was, Chloe had been direct with her request a fortnight ago: If Hope might revive her dead fiancé. During a riling game of seven-card stud, no less. And while Hope had made it plain, she would not be resurrecting the dead, she'd agreed to allow them a moment to say goodbye to each other — even if it was severely one-sided.
"Yes," Hope answered reassuringly, "The more the sky speaks, the more power I can harness." Not that she needed the energy boost for such a small task, but she loved the power that radiated when she absorbed it. It could last weeks, if not months, depending on how sparingly she exercised it.
Kneeling in the too-long, brittle grass, she positioned herself in the center of the lit, white-waxed candles. Among her were artifacts of the deceased — a picture (framed and neat), a pocketknife, and a wad of (likely) used tissues. Hope didn't want to know about those particularly, but she said nothing as Chloe joined her in the circle.
Hope continued when she knelt too, "It's very simple. Think of him in your memory, preferably with good thoughts. The point isn't to go searching for him, but to guide him here. To make him want to see you."
"Why wouldn't he want to see me?"
Hope paused, contemplated her answer, and carefully said, "Death does things to people. He isn't as you knew him. This is to give you closure and nothing more. Do you understand?"
Meekly, she whispered, "I understand…"
"Then let's begin."
The wind, which had been still, suddenly flattened the grass and blew out the candles' flickering glow. Hope furrowed her brows as her hair whipped chaotically, as if she were on a plane and someone opened the hatch.
"What's happening?!" Chloe shouted over the howling wind. "Is it Zach?!"
"No!" Hope returned and glared up at the sky. Surely this wasn't some reprimand. There was no crime being committed, and the Other Side was gone.
Perhaps nature was reminding them she was a beast all her own.
The clouds parted, but not by the raging wind…
"What the hell is that?" Hope muttered to herself.
What she could only describe as a flying squid, tentacle and all, parted the skies.
They stared in shock- in awe, but they didn't move. They couldn't move. In the first few moments, the thing seemed to move almost as if in slow motion, but as it drew nearer, not only did the fear of the unknown set in, but the realization of how fast this thing was actually moving did, too.
"Run, Chloe…" Hope's voice, barely audible, rose five octaves. "RUN!" She snatched Chloe's arm, hard enough to nearly break her arm as they bolted for the car parked in front of the abandoned gas station.
Hope could have kept running. She could have run with a vampire's speed and evade at least most of the explosion, but Chloe couldn't. The car was her best chance of a high-speed getaway.
She could leave her behind.
She should leave her behind.
Survival of the fittest and all that shit, but the moment the thought crossed her mind, she was filled with a ripping, agonizing guilt.
It didn't matter in the end.
They didn't make it to the car.