The Weave Book 1 - Collision

Chapter 2 - Calm Before The Storm

Arthur and Finn stood amidst the wreckage, the distant sound of emergency sirens still far off. Arthur’s beloved car was a mangled heap of metal, debris scattered across the highway. The cold night air pressed against them, the occasional flicker of dying flames lighting the scene.

“You alright, Finn?” Arthur asked, brushing off dirt from his coat, his deep blue eyes scanning the young man.

Finn nodded, though still in visible shock. “Yeah... I think so. What the hell just happened?” He glanced at the car wreck and the chaos they had just barely survived. "Those... things whatever they were they came out of nowhere!"

Arthur stayed silent for a moment, his mind racing. He didn't have answers, not the ones Finn would understand, anyway. The attack felt deliberate, almost targeted. But that made no sense. Why now? And how did these monsters come through... what?

“I’m not sure,” Arthur finally replied, avoiding Finn’s eyes. “It all happened so fast. We barely made it out alive.”

Finn pressed further, his hands still shaking. “But Arthur... it’s not normal. None of this is! Those creatures they were like... like nothing I’ve ever seen before. There’s gotta be a reason behind it. How did they just appear? And why did they go after us?”

Arthur forced himself to keep calm, despite the panic beginning to rise inside him. He couldn’t reveal what he suspected, not yet. “I don’t know,” he muttered, eyes cast downward as he thought. Why now? Could it be related to that artifact?

The sound of a distant vehicle approaching interrupted his thoughts. It was a beat-up mini truck, its headlights cutting through the darkness as it rolled toward them.

"Hey hey .....here here," Finn muttered, clearly relieved at the prospect of not being stranded on the highway any longer.

The truck pulled to a stop beside them, and a middle-aged woman rolled down her window. Her face was kind, and her long gray hair was tied back in a messy ponytail. “You two alright? Saw the wreck from down the road. Looks like you’ve had a rough night.”

Arthur gave her a tight smile. “We’re fine, just... a bit stranded.”

The woman glanced at the crushed car with a sympathetic nod. “Lucky to be alive, from the looks of it. Need a ride? I’m heading home—live just a little out of town in the countryside. Weather’s not lookin’ good for travel.”

Finn glanced at Arthur, clearly wanting to get as far away from the wreck as possible. Arthur hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “We’d appreciate that. My car’s beyond help, and it’s not exactly safe out here.”

With that, the two men climbed into the truck, grateful for the warmth inside. As they drove, Arthur's mind kept drifting back to the strange energy, the monsters, and the artifact.

Finn, who was still struggling to piece it all together, broke the silence. “Arthur, back there... it didn’t feel random. It felt like they were after us. Doesn’t that scare you? Or at least... make you curious?”

Arthur, staring out of the window at the rain beginning to fall, avoided a direct answer. “I’ve been in strange situations before, Finn. You learn to roll with them, keep your head down until you figure out what’s happening.”

“You’re being really calm about this,” Finn replied, frowning. “I know you’re not telling me everything.”

Arthur sighed. “Not because I want to keep things from you. I just don’t know what this all means yet.”

Finn could only nod, though his suspicions were growing. He had always known there was more to Arthur than met the eye, but whatever this was, it felt far beyond the norm.