Word Count: 784
Lily sat at the desk in her room, pen in her right hand, a notepad before her. She was deep in thought thinking out Rhodizite. It had only been a single day since her encounter with him. She had notes on his uniform and appearance, his weapon included. It was all for Tallulah's board. Now all she needed to do was draw a picture. It would be a bad picture, but even a bad picture would suffice.
Placing pen to the paper, she started to sketch out him, but was interrupted by a ringing. Frowning, she but her pencil down, pushing out her chair and heading for the phone that sat on her night stand.
She was alone now, grounded for being out after curfew, but she suspected if was more because she had been attacked. She had been brought to the hospital and declared overly exhausted and of course there was her wrist and the whelp on her side.
She picked up the phone, "Hello, Jacobs residence. Liliana speaking," she said softly trying to keep the irritation from her voice.
"Lily," said Xander sounded a bit breathless. Lily barely heard the one word for all the background noise.
"Xander ... is everything alright ... it’s really loud there. There hasn't been another attack has there," she asked her irritation fleeing and her worry on the rise.
"I cannot explain it you right now. I just called to let you know that mom and dad are on their way to get you now. There been ..."
Lily listened as a voice told her brother he was needed in the children's overflow ward. Lily's heart was racing," ... Xander? ... Xander ..."
"I'm sorry Lily, I have to go. I promise I will come find you when you get here. Bye." The phone went silence, background music gone and Lily stood there phone still pressed to her ear. She was trembling with fear, completely unaware of what was going on.
In an instant, she dropped the phone and ran out of her room, down the hall, and down the steps. She was headed for the living room, if it was major that it would be all over the news. She grabbed the remote from the table and clicked on the television.
Her jaw dropped as the woman from the channel nine news came into view and the scene behind her was displayed for the world to see. At an intersection, several car were crushed into one another. At a glance Lily was certain there was at least 7 and not only that there were car just sitting in the lanes with their drivers being pulled from the car left and right. It was loud as firefighters fought to put out the flames in the pile up.
"It seems that event has been contained to just one area of the city, but it has not been determined as to the cause of the sudden comas of many of the city's citizens. Fires run wild, as two of the fire stations have been affected. People outside the area are being called in every minute to help contain and clean up the disasters..."
Flick, children and parents collapsed on a playground. Flick, twenty drowned at the local public pool. Flick, flick, flick. On every channel it seemed to be the same thing. Disaster, everywhere one turned.
Lily shook, tears pouring down her face. 'Why was this happening? Was it the negaverse? Another alien attack? Real terrorist?' Lily had no idea, but had a feeling her exhaustion was only going to increase in the coming days.
Arms wrapped around her shoulders causing Lily to lurch and struggle violently. "Ssshhh, ssshhh, Lily blossom," whispered a soft voice.
"Mom," she uttered sinking into the embrace, "Mom, what is going on? Why is this happening to our city? Mom ...," she said still crying, feeling very desperate for answers.
The arms around her tighten, "I do not know Lily blossom, but I'm sorry to have to tell you, we need to get back to the hospital."
Lily turned in her mother's arms giving the woman a truly confused look.
"I'm sorry Lily, my love, but Rose ..." said Alyssa before she chocked on her words, "...Rose ... Rose fell into a coma at the mall. They said they found her .... they found her collapse in an elevator..."
Lily watched as her mother cried, wrapping her arms around her and hugging her tight. She rose with her mother and together they headed out of the house, to the car where Aaron waited. Tears still flowed from the pairs eyes as they climb into the back seat together, mothering holding her daughter tightly.
