The Ones Who Lived

by Ashley Nemer

  "Come on John, what's got you so strung up?" Sarah moved to sit right beside him, her hand on top of his. She held onto him trying to provide comfort and love to his worried heart.

  "There is just something. I feel like he is hiding something from you, I just can't support a marriage where it is based on lies."

  Sarah laughed, "What could he be lying about? Since he moved in, especially after Sam and Amelia married, we have spent so much time together and talked about everything. There is no way he has any secrets from me."

  "You weren't at the meeting today, you didn't see how he and Sam were huddled in a corner talking. I know something is going on, there is something big that he is hiding."

  "Did it ever occur to you that maybe they were talking about something personal and they didn't want anyone else to overhear it? Maybe Amelia is pregnant already." Sarah chuckled at her comment knowing that would send Anthony off the deep end if it was actually true.

  "You weren't there you didn't see it, I'm telling you something is going on. They are hiding something big Sarah and until I feel like everything is out in the open, I won't allow you to get married."

  "If I get Anthony to tell you whatever it is that is bothering him, or that is being kept from you, will that ease your worry and then you can give me away?"

  John looked at his sister and smiled, "Yeah sis I suppose if that fear of mine can be put to rest then yeah, I will give you away." The look on her face when she smiled melted his heart, he couldn't tell her no. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "I love you Sarah and I just want to protect you."

  "I know that John, I promise everything will be okay."

  As if his beckoning was on queue Anthony walked through the front door and saw the two of them sitting on the couch. John instantly changed his demeanor. He was very protective, and it didn't matter that Anthony had been living in this house, he still felt claim over the house and the woman sitting next to him.

  "Hey John, everything okay, you look pissed?" Anthony walked over and kissed Sarah before sitting down in the chair across the room from the two siblings.

  "Sweetie, John and I were talking about what you and I spoke about today, about the marriage."

  "Oh well that explains it," Anthony said, "There is nothing worse than hearing your sister is getting married especially to one of your friends. It's a double whammy am I right man?" Anthony was smiling now and seemed playful, but John's facial expression didn't change. "John?"

  "I know you're up to something Anthony. Until I know what that is I won't give my blessing or give my sister to you. In fact, until I know what that is you can't stay here."

  "John!" Sarah yelled, "That isn't what we talked about at all."

  "Whoa there John," Anthony motioned his two hands in the symbol to whoa that you would give to a horse. "You don't have to go and be so drastic. What made you think I was keeping something from Sarah?"

  "Are you?" John insisted.

  "I mean everyone has secrets but no secrets that affect her in any way at all."

  John crossed his arms and glared at Anthony, "So you and Sam huddling in a corner then running out of the room together had nothing to do with a secret that could affect my sister at all? It looked serious and you clearly didn't want to be overheard based on what I was watching."

  "Yes, Sam and I have secrets that yes may or may not affect the community as a whole. But as the originating members we are going to have things between us that others don't know about. That's what happens when you lead. Which is why I discussed with Sarah today the idea of new leadership roles. The ones I brought up at the meeting today."

  John was shaking his head back and forth, "Nope Anthony I don't buy it. You are completely wrong, and you know it. This may work on my sister, but it isn't going to work on me. What is it, what is going on? You better lay it all on the line right now before I alert everyone that you're up to something."

  "Now wait a minute John you can't just come into my home, no our home and make all these demands." Sarah interjected. "I may not like the idea of him hiding something from me, but he hasn't ever lied to me. You can't treat him like you are, it isn't your job to protect me."

  "Sarah let me handle this." Anthony said, "And it is his job, I would do it for Amelia, so I completely get it." Anthony stood up from the chair and started pacing around back and forth. The look on his face told John that whatever he was about to say was bad.

  "You see how he's acting, I told you he was guilty Sarah. But you didn't want to listen." John had a smug tone to his tenor, and that didn't help the tension in the room.

  "You're kind of right but not really. I do have a secret that does affect our community, but it isn't my secret."

  Sarah was the first to ask, "What does that even mean?"

  "Sweetheart, it simply means, someone has a secret that I know about. And I haven't shared it."

  "Well what is it Anthony Davis, you better tell us right now or you won't be marrying Sarah at all." John's arms were crossed, and his body language was shouting to anyone who could see, that he was ready to fight someone.

  "It is going to sound crazy. Sam and I actually spoke today about this secret and we made a group decision to share it."

  "A group decision whose group?" John asked.

  "Anthony, Amelia, Sam and Sunny, the original four." Sarah answered for her lover.

  Anthony nodded, "Yes us four. You see, Sunny agreed to let us share her secret. I am all for sharing, Sam isn't. It was actually Amelia's idea to share. She thinks others may have the same secret if we just brought it up."

  "Brought what up?" John questioned.

  John glared at Anthony non-stop, he wouldn't remove his eyes from his friend. He watched as he moved back to the chair and sat down, ending his pacing.

  "Before I tell you, John, you have to promise that you won't mention it at all to anyone. Sunny will tell people with Amelia in their own way and time. Promise me right now. And Sarah, you know most already, there is just some new developments for you."

  "Oh man that sounds scary." Sarah coolly said.

  "Depends on the secret." John said. No one could fault him for being honest, he wasn't going to play games. If others deserved to know then he would make sure they were told.

  With a sigh Anthony started talking. "Just let me talk, let me finish. Ask your questions at the end, because I am afraid if you ask I will get derailed. Can you at least agree to that John?"

  He agreed, "Yep, that I can promise you."

  Anthony ran his hands through his hair and shook his head back and forth. "Sunny is a witch. I know it seems crazy, it took us a minute or two to get used to the idea and believe it. But we have actually seen her at work and we know she has certain powers. They are growing more powerful each day."

  Sarah started to say something, but Anthony raised his hand up, "No wait." He stood from the chair and started pacing again, "You see, she noticed it back before we were a community. She could control the weather. At first it was just coincidences, when she was sad it would rain. But then it got more intense. She can definitely control elements. I thought kids across the street would realize it when their house caught on fire and she was controlling the fire. She has also ensured we always have enough water in our little community, and when that hurricane hit. Well, the hurricane was natural causes, but it may have been intensified by Sunny."

  When Sarah started to speak again Anthony raised his hand again signaling her to wait so he could continue. "Her powers are adapting and now she is having these dreams. The reason I want to get guns is because she is now having I guess it’s called a premonition of an invasion. There are two men leading the way, a father, Laken and his son, Collins. She knows their names from her dreams. She can also astro-project and she has been going to the library with Amelia to look up all this stuff. It's genetic and I am not totally sure on how that works, Amelia could explain that one to you. There that's it. Now you can ask questions."

  Sarah and John sat there
in silence. Anthony had moved back to his chair and John thought he could see relief in his friends face after getting all of that out.

  "So, we need to prepare for an invasion that's what you're saying?" John asked.

  "Yep, John that's exactly what I am saying."

  "Does she know when we are going to be attacked?"

  Anthony motioned with his shoulders a maybe, "John, it isn't an exact thing, she gets these dreams. What she knows for certain is these two men will be here in maybe two months, and we better be ready for them. Oh, and these men, they are adults. They also have other adults with them."

  Both John and Sarah looked up at him square in his eyes and said, "Adults?"

  Anthony moved his head up and down, "Yep, and she says the one named Collins is the reason everyone is dead."

  John chewed on all of this new information for a minute letting it soak in. Part of him was proud that he knew there was something amiss and someone was lying. The other part of him wished he had never of asked. Because what was he going to do with that information now? He had no idea. All he could do was throw his hat in the ring and help Anthony and Sam defend their home anyway they could.

  "Alright Anthony, tell me what you need me to do."

  Sarah smiled, and Anthony said, "John, I need you to help Sam and me with fortifying the neighborhood, and I have no idea yet on how we are going to do that."

  With a simple nod John had thrown his hat into Anthony's ring and that was that.

  It was a simple clearing of the throat that made both guys look at Sarah, "So does that mean I am now officially betrothed?"

  "Yeah, I guess it does sis."

  Chapter Fourteen - The Witch Hunt

  THE TASK OF SEEKING out others with magical powers wasn't easy. Amelia had realized the chore would be daunting, but she hadn't realized exactly what it would require of Sunny. At first it was easy, they had started with John since Anthony had told him what happened last Thursday. John didn't act shocked or that Sunny was crazy. He asked her a lot of questions about how her dreams felt and what Astro-projection actually was. Sunny enjoyed speaking to him about it because of his curiosity.

  It was when they went to Natalie's clan that there were some issues. Her friend Jody seemed skeptical. It didn't matter how many questions she asked, it always ended with her saying science would never uphold what Sunny was claiming. Which was exactly what Sunny was trying to show, that science can't explain what was happening.

  Everything took a drastic turn into the weird, when Natalie's brother Brody, came into the conversation. It was Sunny who shocked everyone when she said, "It's time to tell them Brody."

  Natalie's face immediately went firm and worried, Jody looked confused and Amelia didn't know what to think. "What do you mean tell them?" Amelia asked.

  "I mean, Brody is like me." Sunny stated

  "No, he isn't," Natalie said sounding defensive.

  "Yes, he is." Sunny stood firm with her hands balled into fists and her arms handing down her sides. Amelia couldn't decide if she was in more of a fight or flight mood. She was hoping the former of the two.

  "I can talk for myself, Natalie." Brody said in a calm voice.

  Everyone turned to look at him and it was almost as if everyone was holding their breath until his next words were out. "So, tell her." Sunny encouraged.

  "Brody, what is she talking about?" Natalie's tone changed to that of the concerned sister instead of the pissed off chaperone.

  All he did was shrug, "I don't know what all I can do, I just know that when Sunny makes it rain I can block it, so the rain doesn't fall on me."

  "He shields," Sunny offered up. "I think he can shield from magic, but I haven't really tested it much."

  Natalie was the first to jump on this prompt, "Have you really tested it at all?"

  "Just the rain thing, it's like he’s walking around with an invisible umbrella," Sunny smiled, "except when the rain isn't because of me. That's funny because he always gets soaking wet when it's that case. One day he was soaked head to toe and just didn't believe it wasn't me."

  Brody stuck his tongue out at Sunny then questioned, "I still think you tricked me!"

  Amelia looked between the two kids, back and forth, and finally asked, "Sunny why didn't you tell me?"

  "It wasn't my secret, just like this wasn't anyone else's to tell about me."

  Natalie walked over to her brother and picked him up and held onto him.

  "Ew let me go, Nat, let me go!" Brody wiggled in her arms.

  "Quiet you I need to hold you right now."

  Jody started to shake her head, "I don't believe it, and I want to see it." She let her comment come out flatly.

  "Okay" Sunny and Brody both responded simultaneously to the request.

  "We can do it in the back yard, your garden needs water. Come on let's go outside." Sunny said as she and Brody ran through the house to the back yard.

  "Amelia, this is crazy." Natalie said as the adults walked through the house.

  "Crazy isn't the word Natalie, it is a hoax." Jody declared.

  "Wait until you see what they have to do before you cast judgements. If you really are concerned, then have them do some of the experiments on you too." Amelia stated.

  "Okay I will."

  The three ladies made it out to the back yard and the two kids were all ready and waiting for their audience. "Come on Brody let's show them." Sunny said.

  "Wait a second, I'm doing it too. Show me that you can do this by letting me be a part of the experiment." Jody told them.

  Sunny lined up both Brody and Jody in a line, about one foot apart. She thought really hard and the cloud began to form over both of their heads. It was two separate clouds that started as one large one. When the rain started there were light sprinkles that hit both Brody and Jody. After about three or four seconds Brody's rain drops suddenly stopped hitting him. It appeared as if they were deflected away from him and rolled off an invisible shield and onto the ground.

  Jody on the other hand was getting wet. Her shirt was now stuck against her body and her jeans were soaked. "I think the point is proven" Natalie said laughing at the image in front of her.

  "Not quite, hold on." Sunny said. She walked over and looked at Brody then smiled, "Stop Jody's rain from hitting her too."

  A couple seconds later Body's shield had left him and now Jody was having her rain deflected off of her. She looked up at the single cloud in aghast shock. "Wow" she said.

  "Brody you're getting soaked now!" Natalie hollered out.

  "Oh, my bad!" He said and then suddenly both of them had their invisible shields over their heads deflecting the rain.

  "So, what do you think now?" Amelia asked the other two ladies standing there in shock. "Is it all a joke or do these two have some powers we may need to harness?"

  Jody stormed off from under the rain cloud and said on her way into the house "I still think its crap, but I need to change."

  Amelia and Sunny laughed as they watched Jody walk off. While she was away Sunny took this moment to explain to Natalie, in great detail, about the dreams and the feelings she had been getting after each one. Brody said that while he hadn't had any dreams, he was experiencing weird sensations that didn't make any sense to him. Sunny and Amelia felt like it had to be the same thing that had been bothering Sunny. Something was on their way to their small little community and they were going to have to defend it.

  "Well count me in, whatever you all need." Natalie had said as the four of them walked into the house.

  "Me too!" Hollered Brody.

  Amelia smiled at the two of them, siblings were so special especially now. "I'm glad we told you. Now there are no more secrets. Telling the rest will be hard since I am not close to them, and neither is Sunny."

  "We aren't close." Natalie pointed out.

  "No, but Sunny and Brody are and that made it easier."

  Jody came down the stairs in a fresh pair of clothing and her hair brushed backwards in a
ponytail. "What did I miss?"

  "Just news of our world here being invaded by two jerk men, so nothing new." Natalie laughed. "Can I get you a beer?" She asked Amelia.

  "Beer? What?" Amelia's shocked face made Natalie and Jody laugh.

  "Yeah, you heard of the stuff?"

  "Yeah. I just, didn't think anyone drank it. I mean, it isn't exactly legal." Amelia blushed out of embarrassment.

  "What do you think will happen? The cops from the past will come and arrest us for being dubious?"

  "No, I mean, maybe, hell I don't know. Okay fine give me one."

  Sunny's face perked up when Amelia said yes. She looked over at her pseudo sister and gave an inquisitive look.

  "Don't tell Sam." Amelia instructed as she opened the can of Miller Lite and took a sip. "Wow, okay yuck."

  Natalie and Jody both laughed at her and somehow this light bit of fun made everything okay.

  "Maybe we should head home. I will tell Sam that you're down to help. I am sure he and Anthony have plans in the work. I know John was willing to help as well. Thanks for not making fun of Sunny."

  "Look Amelia I know we aren't close, but I wouldn't pick on a kid. The kids are who need us most of all. And if this is all true, sounds like we will need each other. Maybe you and I should get to know each other better." Natalie stopped talking to look at the two kids in the room. "Especially if those two are going to be together."

  "How do you know that?" Amelia asked.

  "Call it a hunch. I'll see you all around." She winked at Amelia and then walked her to the front door. "See you next time Sunny."

  After Amelia and Sunny left Brody looked up at his sister, "You lied."

  "I did not, I just didn't tell." Natalie said with pride in her tone.

  "Why not, you can see they just want help. You can trust them."

  "Not yet I can't kid. Remember we are always going to put our family first so until I can ensure that Anthony and company have the same interest as ours then we will keep this unique tool chested, okay?"

  Brody walked off mad at his sister, "This isn't right they came here looking for help and all you did was let Jody find out about me."