When Lightning Strikes: World's Collide Edition

1. Into the Dark

Alicia

The darkness crept into the streets, as a young woman stood at a bus stop, waiting. Her fingers trembled, as she rubbed her arms anxiously. Her short frizzy hair covered her face, winds blowing from every side. Shivering, she gripped her thick jacket together, pressing her already dry and cold hands together against her body. The streets were empty, which left the woman alone and distressed. In her current state - sickly and paranoid - Alicia had seen what appeared to be, smoky bodies drifting into the sky, obscuring the twinkling stars from above. The bench she'd been sitting on for hours, might as well been ice. Though she was covered heavily from head to toe, the chills of the depressing voids of the night struck deeply into her body, clashing with the mysteriousness of the streets.

Alicia checked her phone. 11:34am. Shit, she thought, I'll never make it back in time. She briefly, subconsciously, brushed the back of her hand against the left pocket of her jeans. The pendant. It lay heavy in her pocket. The streets were beginning to blur, the streetlights flickering as well. Her head throbbed, but Alicia tried to push the pain away. I need to let them know, she thought. Alicia stood up, immediately sensing shocks ripple down to her knees. Grimacing, she began to turn away from the bus stop, when she heard a horn pierce through the dead of the night, causing her to jump in surprise. She immediately turned, peering at the road off to the distance. A vehicle's headlights glared through the darkness, blinding the woman. A wild cat, prowling from the bushes behind the woman, emitted a shrill screeching sound, before scampering back into the darkness. The noise, in an environment of near dead silence, echoed throughout the ghastly street, breaking the emptiness.

In the moment of shock, Alicia sensed a string of energy emitting from her arm and into her hands. No, she thought, not now. She glanced down, fearfully. Lines of green, like glowing veins, erupted from the palm of her hands, swirling into the air. Moving as though they had a life of their own. The air began to electrify, vibrations materializing as energy surrounded her. Alicia gritted her teeth, shutting her eyes closed feverishly. The green light from her hands continued to glow for a few more seconds, before escaping through the dark of the night, leaving her in a daze. The bus was moving closer to the stop, the lights much brighter now than before. Her breathing became uneven. She exhaled. Small puffs of smoke materialized into the cold air. Alicia rubbed her eyes, shielding them from the lights.

The bus, now stopped right in front of her, opened its doors to reveal an old man with a slightly puzzled look, replaced immediately by a toothy grin. "Miss, ya lost?" he asked, turning her focus to him. "I need to get to Mildred Avenue, can you get me there?" she asked, slipping her hands into her pockets. "A 'course, may take a min though, make ya self comft'able at back". Alicia took a deep breath and made her way through the old bus. There were a few passengers, a woman in shawls and a headscarf, two middle-aged men, and a boy, who looked to be her age. Alicia chose a spot at the back, far from the rest of them. The boy, engrossed in a comic book, wore headphones that blasted heavy metal music, which Alicia heard loud and clear, undoubtedly, even at the back of the bus. The woman in shawls clenched her jaw in annoyance, restless, as she frequently peered over her shoulder to glare at the boy. The two men, engrossed deep in conversation, paid no attention to the rest of them. Alicia scrutinized the passengers, before turning to her phone. She was reading a news article. Three men dead from mysterious explosion read the headline of the article. Alicia bit her lip, reading through the contents. Her foot nervously tapped against the floor of the bus. She briefly closed her eyes, leaning against the seat support. Could it be him?

Alicia opened her eyes, peering out through the windows. Houses and large buildings filled the view, illuminated solely by flickering streetlights. Occasionally, she'd find a couple on a late-night run, or a pack of wild dogs trooping into an alleyway. The two men got off on the next stop. Only the boy and the woman remained, soundless as ongoing traffic.