The Great Awakening

Chapter 20

(Mr. Mitchell = Kevin Mitchell)

Another crackle of the balled up piece of paper struck the floor, miles away from the trash bin, along with dozens other scrapped projects. She tried taking deep breaths, but no amount of air could fill the hole being punched into her stomach with each passing second. The only thing that had even seemed to remotely help was her art, and even that couldn't completely relieve her. The pencil etched deep into the thick sketch paper that rested on the desk. Her abdomen made it impossible for her to draw on her stomach. When it came down to art, she was a perfectionist, and yet again, her pencil just veered off its intended course. "UGH!" She yanked the paper from her sketchpad and tossed it into the receptacle, this time it actually made it in.

Over to the left, a rectangular phone sat on the coffee table. It had not once moved from its position or brightened. The skies outside were darker than the blackest of night and the windows of the library rattled. Lightning fell from the skies, illuminating the outside so bright that Melissa had to shield her eyes. It was late... and it was storming... why hasn't Joanna replied?

Her attention was redirected to the sketchpad, and the first thing on her mind that she wanted to etch out what her child may look like when he or she was Jayden's age. Finally, the sound of the lightning passed her. "Fuck!" She jolted, throwing her sketchpad and her pencil nearly across the room by the entrance. Troy picked up the objects as he walked in.

"Didn't think you'd be afraid of lightning," he chuckled.

"I'm not." She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I'm just a little..."

"A little what?"

A little nervous, she wanted to say, but any sign of nervousness would make him wonder if something was happening without him knowing. "Tired."

He took a deep breath and made his way over to the couch, plopping beside her. "Maybe you should go to sleep then."

That wasn't an option. "I can't. Insomnia."

"Nightmares?"

She nodded. It was kind of a lie.

Troy leaned closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She didn't flinch, but rather leaned into his hold. His warmth relaxed her muscles. She smiled as she allowed herself to close her eyes.

"Get some sleep." There was a calmness that was unique to his voice. "I'll be here to help you with the nightmares."

His arms were warmer than any blanket. His heartbeat kept a steady slow rhythm as it beat against her ear. She counted the beats like they were sheep, and soon enough, she was out.

It wasn't a nightmare that woke her up, but something louder than his heartbeat. His phone. And hers. Both blared a screechy ring tone that Melissa never recalled hearing. "Shit!" Troy said as his head jolted up. "We're under attack!"

"Attack?" She asked with a shaky voice. "How?"

"I don't know, but we have to act. If they get past the wall guards, people will die!" He pulled her onto her feet and began making their way out. "Where's your rifle?!"

"I-It's at my dorm!"

"Go get it and meet me back at my room!"

He ran off then in the opposite direction where she needed to go, leaving her and his child alone. The skies were still dark, but the sense if immediate danger was presented with the now present gunfire. The air wasn't riddled with the smell of smoke, so they must not have breached the walls yet. She bolted over to her dorm, her heart racing.

She returned with her rifle slung over her shoulder, panting heavily, and waddled her way over to Troy's living quarters. A boom ripped through the air then, startling her. Across the field through her left, there was a great fire, and screams and gunshots soon followed with the smell of smoke. With no time to waste, she sprinted a couple of bunkers down, passed the library. Troy was already there with a two sets of loaded Kevlar and helmets. "C'mon! Put this on!"