Phantom Thunder

Chapter 19

Waiting was hell. With the anticipation of answers, and the weight of the failed mission both like rocks inside my stomach, it made it hard to even think straight.

The next morning, I woke up long before anyone else. The night before, I'd been the one to begin the ceremony by placing part of my energy on the casket. The tiny orb stood out like like a drop of silver in a pool of red on the sleek black casket. I had taken a deep breath, then moved on.

People had been respectful enough to not try to approach us during the burning, and once the casket was completely consumed by flames, I left early and crawled into bed to avoid the inquisitive stares and questioning glances. I figured if I could get away with not talking to anyone, the further time moved away from the event, the further their minds would too.

I lay in bed and just stared at the ceiling. Random thoughts flicked through my mind like a television changing channels. Theories about the Thunder and it's new skyrocketing energies. Imagined images of Division Five Headquarters, running in circles like a cat chasing a laser. Visions of Laura lying on the sidewalk next to the three children. Michael bleeding silverblood while he stood ghostly pale above me as he had in my dream.

There were also thoughts of my friends. Spark grabbing my hand and jumping into the cold water. Joking around with Lilian. Sitting by the pond with Knives.

Nothing connected these random images, and I seamed to have no emotional reaction to anything I was imagining. The visions were simply displayed behind my eyelids for me to watch as they rolled by.

When the bell rang I rolled out of bed, got changed, then went down to breakfast with Lilian.

Knives was back at her regular table with her regular friends. Her messy brown hair was tied up, and her sea green eyes looked like they were trying to toast her bread. But when she saw me she looked up and smiled encouragingly.

No one bothered to try to talk to us during fitness training, or during lunch, and after a long afternoon of beating up punching bags, as we all lounged around in dorms and no one bothered to approach Lilian and I, it occurred to me that they respected our distance.

The headmistress had been seen in Pluto's den practically all morning, and whispers were flying around the hall at dinner.

"You know what this is about, don't you?" Lilian inquired as we sat down with our plates loaded.

"Sort of" I replied truthfully.

"Spill women."

"The kids we found were also tracking frequencies. Pluto combined their tech with his to track the energies of this thing, the Thunder. Now the energy of the Thunder hasn't existed for thousands of centuries because it's been locked up in some unbreakable cage, and suddenly it's blowing up the charts" I summarized.

"So it escaped?" Lilian asked.

"Supposedly last time it ran free, it turned the planet to solid ice. If it escaped, unchallenged it would kill the entire population within the day. So no, it hasn't escaped. They're looking for an answer as to what exactly caused the energies to behave they way they are, and what it means."

"Wow, Ghost" Seth marvelled. "That sounded really sciency and smart."

I threw a tomato at him.

"Ow" he complained.

"How did that even hurt?" Spark inquired. "It was a cherry tomato!"

Seth grabbed a tomato and threw it across the table as hard as he could at Spark.

"Ow" Spark whined.

"Exactly!" Seth looked mighty fine with himself.

"That-" he was interrupted by Sparks revenge: a thumb size carrot nailing him in the cheek. Seth reached for a cucumber slice, but before he could launch it at Spark like a frisbee Lilian intervened. "Guys" she scolded harshly. "Grow up."