Page 14 (1/2)

Though we’d gotten rain, the breeze felt hot and dry Like a scarf out of the dryer rubbed against ain and harder, Mom frowned "Um, just let rabbed the remote for our kitchen TV and turned it on

The screen was divided between three harried-looking field reporters, the trio talking over each other One of theround zero for Katrina

So as he sweating profusely now? "Sightings of bizarre weather phenoet a shot over hts, folksis that the sun rising?"

The second reporter looked like he hadn’t blinked in a week "Tefires in the Northeastthere’s no cause for panic," he said in a panicked voice "Radiation spikesreports of aurora borealis as far south as Brazil"

The third guy’shand "We’ve lost contact with our London, Moscow, and Hong Kong bureausall reported similar events"--he pressed his ear com--"what’s thatNew York? DC?" he said, his voice scaling an octave higher "M-my family’s in Wash--"

One by one, the feeds cut out Blip Blip Blip

"Mo on?" Why is your face paler than I’ve ever seen it?

She glanced past ers went limp The ice cubes clattered to the floor

I lurched toin protest I was too scared to look behind aze Across the now-clear night sky, lights flickered

Crimson and violet like Mardi Gras strea Matthew’s first visit It was the aurora borealis The northern lights in Louisiana

They were utterly

As Mom and I both crept toward the front door, that hot wind intensified, beginning to howl, rattling the wind chimes around the farm The horses shrieked in the barn I could hear their hooves battering their stalls, wood splintering

They sounded terrified--

But just look at those dazzling lights! I could stare forever

Fro animals burst from the fields Raccoons, possums, nutria, even deer So many snakes erupted from the ditches that the front lawn looked like it shone and rippled

A wave of rats roiled in flight Birds choked the sky, tearing at each other or dive-bohts! Sowith joy

And yet, I didn’t think I should be looking at the, warned me? I couldn’t think, could only stare

The, tightening their rain-soaked lireen leaves over our ho to defend it

My cane seeid, even in that wind As if shell-shocked

They knohat’s cohts! "Mom, don’t look at the sky!" I shoved her back fro out of a trance "Evie, what is that noise?"

A roar was building in the night, the loudest, rew icy cold "We are not going to panic But ill be locked inside the cellar within thirty seconds Understood?"

The apocalypseit was now And Mel was out there alone

"I have to call Mel!" Then I remembered she didn’t have a phone "If I drive across the property, I can try to catch her!"

Modown there without Mel! I have to get to her!"

I lunged for the front door, but Moth unreal "Get in the cellar NOW!" she yelled over the roar "We can’t risk it!"

The sky grew lighter--hotter "No, no!" I shrieked, fighting her "She’ll die, she’ll die, you know she will! I’ve seen this!"

"You both will if you try to go after her!"

I flailed against Mom, but couldn’t break her hold Ar in a frenzy as she draggedto the doorway, she yanked on ers froo after Mel--"

Then caround--my eardrums ruptured--

A split second later, the force of the explosion hurled us down the stairs, the door sla behind us

Chapter 14

DAY 246 AF

REQUIEM, TENNESSEE

"Arthur, as that?" Evie asks

I blink And again I’d been utterly caught up in her tale of the Flash "What hat?"

She shakes her head hard--as if to throw off her drug-fueled fog

Good luck with that I am a master of concoctions, unparalleled in chemistry; the only reason she is still awake is because I want her to be

Everything is ht I heard a thud downstairs"

She likely had I use the spacious cellar as my lab and containment facility One of the little bitches down there was probably straining to reach the waste bucket I’d left it just close enough to give theodlike power I wield over hing at er to hear h I believe little of it

She tilts her head and givesbefore the Flash?"

I’m taken aback None of my visitors has ever asked rope for an answer before settling on a lie "I was preparing to go to college in the spring Majoring in chemistry at MIT"

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been interested in che of one substance into another A cheood base for what I truly wanted to study

Alchemy--the ancient occult art of potions and elixirs

"I’d intended to be a chemist" An alchemist But MIT wouldn’t have me Apparently,had "raised red flags"

"Wow" Evie is genuinely i "You must be really smart"