When Lightning Strikes: World's Collide Edition

22. Unsettling Flashes

Even before Alicia entered the living room, she knew something was wrong. Her mother was biting her fingernails, hunched over on the couch. She seemed to be watching the balcony doors, that led to a patio and the backyard. She was wearing a nurse uniform – she was ready to go into work.

"Alice, did you hear something last night?" The girl was puzzled, her mother seemed distraught and lost in thought.

"What do you mean?" She began to feel Elaine's discomfort deeply, as though soaking up her worries. As she stared at her mother, the girl found several more worry lines and wrinkles on their face. As though they'd been aging with stress. Alicia found herself simultaneously filled with dread, of some sort.

"I-I thought I heard some banging downstairs last night. It might've been the wind or something, because when I went down to check, the noise stopped and there wasn't anyone there."

Did the Xers find... no, definitely not. Alicia pushed away the thought. She didn't hear anything last night - she must've slept heavily if something that loud woke her mother and not her.

"Mom, I think it's just the wind, I didn't hear anything. Maybe it's your nerves, like, what with all the weird things that are happening these days."

Elaine nodded hesitantly, her wrinkles disappeared, and her shoulders relaxed slightly. "I guess that's it."

Alicia sat down next to her mother and wrapped her arms around her. Elaine smiled. As though a chain reaction, the girl's own discomfort dissipated, replaced by warmth and solace.

"It should be me comforting you. Not the other way around. So much has happened, like your friend..." Alicia's eyes lowered, focusing on the ground. Her mother glanced at her, wide-eyed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's fine, I... It's just hard to take in, that's all." The girl left one arm around her mother, and another reaching for the remote. She switched on the TV.

The news channel popped up. On the screen, a news reporter stood in front of an emerging crowd. Several of the people in the crowd held signs, "We want answers!" "Strange lightning – Real or planned?" and many more, as they stood before an empty stage with a podium.

"We are here at Kinstone Square, where mayor Thompson will be holding a press conference at 6 o'clock in the afternoon, in around a half hour."

He will be discussing the strange phenomena that has been plaguing our city the past several months, the rise in crime rates, as well as his plans to solve them. We will be asking questions given by the public, based on our online forum in our Kinstone Picture News website. Stay tuned for more news."

Elaine cleared her throat and stood up. "Well, I have to get to work. I already have lunch prepared in the kitchen for you and Adam. Take care, and if you're planning on going to that press conference... just remember to be safe."

Alicia nodded, but the thought of going hadn't crossed her mind until now. No doubt, the mayor would have concocted a false story to satisfy the public. But the girl knew better.

As her mother got ready to leave, Alicia caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the crowd, holding a microphone. Wearing a dark fedora hat, an auburn trench coat, and large sunglasses to further obscure herself. Carol. Alicia smiled. It seemed somewhat hopeful, that the reporter was still seeking answers from the mayor. Behind the reporter, was a lanky cameraman following her every move. She was convinced; She had a strange urge to visit the conference. Any kind of clue can go a long way to unravelling the mysteries hidden by the mayor and Dark X.

In what seemed like a flash, Alicia had gotten ready to leave. I've been patient, just focusing on school. I need to help Carol with this, she thought.