My Year Abroad

Chapter 14

Cameron's group checked into a cheap cash hotel along the highway. Megan was still showering in her private room, and Cameron was a door away flipping through channels. He wanted to ensure the storm truly ended, and make sure there were no side effects this time.

'Seem's everything's okay now. How many people were hurt in the process?'

He turned off the tv and looked for a way to distract himself. After the altercation with the skinwalker, sleep was the last thing on his mind. He got up from the bed to peer out the window discreetly. Cameron examined mountains in the distance and contemplated the origin of the monster.

'Where did that thing come from, and how am I alive? I saw my intestines being pulled out, and it took several bites.' Cameron felt his stomach.

'After that, everything went white. I'm still not sure how this works, but everything seemed so clear at that moment.'

There was a peculiar knock at the door, and Cameron closed the curtains. That was the designated knock for his group. Jordan left after they received the room keys to refuel, and gather extra supplies for the morning. He's been watching tv for some time now and assumed Jordan had returned.

"Took you long enough. W-what were you doing?" Megan averted her gaze

She still recalled yesterday's awkward encounter in the class. Knowing it was common for people their age to experiment she began thinking an interruption was made. Her eyes returned to Cameron and discreetly glanced down.

"I can't sleep so I've been passing the time." Cameron turned around returning to his seat.

"I'm having problems with it too." Megan closed the door behind them and locked it.

Cameron began rustling through his bag and retrieved his final joint. He had so much on his mind that it was overwhelming and he needed some way to slow it down. Knowing Megan's intolerance on the matter he sat on the ottoman near the window while cracking it.

'He usually hides it from me.' Megan sat on the bed adjacent to Cameron's while flipping the tv on.

"...with tensions rising overseas, and the threats we've received an attack wasn't unexpected. We just never imagined it to reach our soil. It's been twenty years since the last one after all, and before that my grandpa was in uniform. The reason we never saw it coming was the nature of the attack, but after the towers dropped it changed the world. Every country now has regulations in place to keep it from happening again."

"So what your saying is this is the next form of warfare?"

"I believe it is. The reason we aren't dropping nukes on each other right now is the consequences that follow. The land is permanently altered, and no longer suitable for expansion, not to mention the mutually ensure destruction that would likely follow..."

Cameron sparked his joint, and repositioned the seat towards the tv. Megan just wanted to casually break the silence, and find a way of approaching, but now he was distracted. She crossed her arms and glanced at the door.

'Sometimes I wonder if he likes women at all.'

Cameron failed to notice the obvious signs from the moment she opened the door. The fresh out of the shower fragrance paired with tiny spandex. Megan in spandex wasn't a new sight, but that was sports apparel and was lengthy to match public decency. Even the out-of-character top that displayed her womanly form was ignored.

"You really think controlling the weather is possible?"

"Conspiracy theorists have always debated the science behind it, and frankly I thought they were crazy, but we can't deny the facts. There were zero signs of a winter storm approaching, and the best meteorologist around the country have analyzed the data. Up until 6:34 PST, the southwest was experiencing a record-breaking heatwave, and then temperatures immediately plummeted to below freezing temperatures. Weather changes come fast, and can still be unpredictable, but not that drastically in under a minute."

"If what you say is true, and this is a new weapon. Who was behind the attack?"

"We have many enemies, and frankly we don't have enough data to determine that. I'm just here to lay out the facts. This phenomenon sparked power outages across the board, and riots shortly after. If not for the swift intervention of the national guard there's no telling how bad it could've gotten. We need to be prepared for these storms to happen again, and not panic when they do. When this happens come together as a community, and prepare for boots to hit the ground. United we stand divided we fall."

As the crowd began to cheer wildly Megan changed the channel. After finding a suitable one to set the mood she moved to the ottoman. Cameron was confused since the smell alone would typically drive her from the room.

"I know you didn't want us here, but.."

"That may be true, but not for the reasons you think. I'm just concerned about your safety." Cameron was prepared to put out his smoke.

"It's okay." Megan grabbed his hand.

Megan had personal reasons for pestering Cameron about smoking, but there's one thing she couldn't deny. When under the influence of the THC he seemed more empathic, and open with them.

'It's not like he can die from lung cancer.' Megan tried to make light of tonight's trauma.

"You sure?" Cameron asked.

Megan nodded as she scooted closer.

"The window's a little chilly," Megan mumbled.

"I opened it for the smell, but I can close it." Cameron reached for the window as she elbowed his ribs.

"Are you smart or stupid!?" Megan scolded.

Cameron wasn't sure how to respond, and the confused look caused Megan to sigh. She wrapped her arms around her stomach. The upset expression was now one of sorrow.

"Sorry. Maybe I'm the stupid one." Megan got up and began heading for the door.

"I don't know what's wrong with me." Cameron blurted out as she reached for the lock.