10/17

Episode 4, Chapter 16

Laney's mom pulled in the drive right behind Mr. Carlisle. He moved to open Laney's Grandmother's door for her and walked the women inside, carrying one of the two large casserole dishes they had brought. Laney carried the other while her mother held another container. Ms. Dempson introduced her mother to the Carlisle clan as Dorothy Wayne.

"Ahhh, Ms. Wayne, you didn't need to do that," Mrs. Carlisle said as the three dishes were deposited on the counter.

"Oh, it's no trouble. I miss cooking for a big family every now and then," Nan assured her. "They just need to go in the oven for a little while longer. And, please, call me Dorothy, or Nan." Laney cracked a smile and shook her head.

"Nan cooks when she's nervous or worrying about something. She's been cooking like a mad woman ever since I broke the news to her," she told Parker in a quiet voice as they took seats at the breakfast bar. Parker had to sit on his hands to keep from tapping them on the counter. The antsy energy he had been feeling the last few days was back, the one short jump doing little to burn it off. "At this rate, she'll have Thanksgiving dinner done by the middle of next week. Our deep freezer is already filling up."

"What did she bring?"

"Two pan's of chicken spaghetti and some maple fudge." Parker's stomach rumbled just thinking about it.

"Oh dang, then she's welcome over here anytime she has a nervous break down," he said with appreciation. Laney's return grin faded as the sound of the TV made it's way into the room, dragging them back into the new reality they were facing. With the levity of the moment gone, the two of them stood and joined the others in the living room.

"It's been over five hours now, since it all began, and the fire fighters are just now beginning to make a dent in the massive blaze. Authorities are believe some of the multiple outlying buildings can be saved but the main structure of the school is expected to be a total loss. Ambulances have been coming and going all day. While authorities are withholding estimates on student casualties, we are being told that over seventy people have been taken to area hospitals, many in critical condition. At least fifty-three staff members are unaccounted for at this time," the voice of the anchor man was set over an aerial view of the burning school. The scene switched back to the news desk as the coanchor continued.

"Since the news of this tragedy and the suspected involvement of Chet Karver, the young man recently thrust into a national spotlight for his viral video claiming he had developed the ability to control fire, parens and advocacy organizations have begun avidly voicing concerns on other potential outbreaks of power from the alleged super powered teens in schools across the nation. The debate has become loud and heated on whether this phenomenon is a real threat or just another memetic fad or publicity stunt. Over the last several days and particularly in the last three hours, most of the major studios as well as many individual producers, directors and other Hollywood mainstays have taken to social media claiming they are not behind the videos, as well as urging whomever is behind the movement, if it is a ploy of some kind, to come out and explain themselves."

"While this is still a hotly debated issue, evidence is beginning to pile up that these super teens may actually exist," The other anchor said, as though she could not believe what she was saying. 

"More and more stories are making their way into the media that are harder and harder to explain away. Even here in the greater Tulsa area, we have had reports of unusual incidents attributed to teens with irregular abilities." The scene shifted to a green house that looked as though it housed a jungle. The plants inside were tall and lush. The landscape outside, however was also shockingly green up to five feet from the building, more vibrant than it should have been even in the unseasonably warm fall they had gotten so far. Vine tendrils branching in all directions, blanketed one side of the greenhouse.