headed for the path that Kylie had taken just minutes earlier. It was almost reassuring to see her pull a crumpled pack of cigarettes from her blouse pocket, set a butt on her lip, and then light it with a match. Kylie saw this as normal Linda Dwyer behavior; perhaps she wasn't completely off her rocker.
Kylie finally looked away when her mother disappeared down the path into the woods. RJ placed his arm over her shoulders. She felt the pressure of his cheek against the top of her head as he leaned into her. It felt good, no matter the hurt she just experienced.
"Sorry about that," she said in a small voice. "I don't know what's gotten into her."
"That's easy. We don't know what's going on. There's been explosions… an earthquake, and a plane crash—all within a matter of minutes. I don't blame her for freaking out. Tell you the truth I'm kind of freaking out myself."
"She's always seen me as a way to fix her past mistakes."
"That sounds familiar," RJ said with a knowing chuckle.
"I guess I'm not turning out how she planned. It's been building for a while."
"That doesn't mean I have to like it." He lifted his head and smiled. The unguarded look he'd revealed when the explosions rattled the sky was largely gone but a hint of it remained. As long as she saw a glimmer of the truth she thought she could carry on without fear of dying of embarrassment. "Let's go inside and figure out what's going on. My computer's busted so I'll need to use my sister's."
"Lead the way." She mustered up as close to a smile as she could manage.
RJ didn't lower his arm from her shoulders as they walked toward the main house. He no longer trembled in fear, and in his strength, Kylie realized she was no longer scared, either. She knew it was foolish, but she felt that as long as she could be with RJ, she could face anything.
The cool inside air dried the sweat from Kylie's skin as they entered the kitchen. She sat on a high stool and rested her elbows on the vast granite island as RJ grabbed a couple of glasses from the cabinet. Sunlight gleamed on nearly every surface—from the glossy countertops, to the high-end appliances, to the glass-fronted kitchen cabinets. She smelled the lavender and lemon oil from her mother's cleaning supplies, but besides a sponge resting on the counter near the sliding door, there was no evidence that her mother had ever been here. Her presence in the Thompsons' house was marked by absence; in her wake she left a lavish landscape unblemished by a speck of dust or single water spot on the edge of the kitchen sink.
Kylie's heart felt heavy. And empty. She knew those feelings conflicted, but it was true.
"I was afraid of that." RJ peered inside the open refrigerator.
"What now?"
"The power's out."
"I was thinking. What if it was an accident at Kennelly Chemical? That's a fertilizer plant, right? Can't that stuff explode?" She waited for that familiar disappointed look from RJ when she said something stupid, but when he brought a pitcher of lemonade over to the island, he only looked concerned.
"I don't think so. It could, in theory, I suppose, but I think it's something else. Something bigger." He paused long enough to drink down most of his lemonade and then refill it. "Ever hear of an EMP?"
"No… what's that?"
"It means electromagnetic pulse. EMP for short. It's theorized that if there's a massive enough explosion high enough in the atmosphere, it would damage electronic circuitry."
"Like a nuke?"
RJ nodded.
"So, what, you mean no electricity across the entire planet?"
"I don't know. It's just a theory. And chances are I'm way off base."
"If there's no power, then it'll be like living in cavemen times," Kylie said with a little laugh. RJ's grave expression drained her of any humor. "Seriously?"
RJ went over to the bank of light switches at the entrance to the kitchen and flipped every switch. Nothing happened, not even a momentary flicker of a single light bulb.
She gasped and grabbed her cell
Kylie finally looked away when her mother disappeared down the path into the woods. RJ placed his arm over her shoulders. She felt the pressure of his cheek against the top of her head as he leaned into her. It felt good, no matter the hurt she just experienced.
"Sorry about that," she said in a small voice. "I don't know what's gotten into her."
"That's easy. We don't know what's going on. There's been explosions… an earthquake, and a plane crash—all within a matter of minutes. I don't blame her for freaking out. Tell you the truth I'm kind of freaking out myself."
"She's always seen me as a way to fix her past mistakes."
"That sounds familiar," RJ said with a knowing chuckle.
"I guess I'm not turning out how she planned. It's been building for a while."
"That doesn't mean I have to like it." He lifted his head and smiled. The unguarded look he'd revealed when the explosions rattled the sky was largely gone but a hint of it remained. As long as she saw a glimmer of the truth she thought she could carry on without fear of dying of embarrassment. "Let's go inside and figure out what's going on. My computer's busted so I'll need to use my sister's."
"Lead the way." She mustered up as close to a smile as she could manage.
RJ didn't lower his arm from her shoulders as they walked toward the main house. He no longer trembled in fear, and in his strength, Kylie realized she was no longer scared, either. She knew it was foolish, but she felt that as long as she could be with RJ, she could face anything.
The cool inside air dried the sweat from Kylie's skin as they entered the kitchen. She sat on a high stool and rested her elbows on the vast granite island as RJ grabbed a couple of glasses from the cabinet. Sunlight gleamed on nearly every surface—from the glossy countertops, to the high-end appliances, to the glass-fronted kitchen cabinets. She smelled the lavender and lemon oil from her mother's cleaning supplies, but besides a sponge resting on the counter near the sliding door, there was no evidence that her mother had ever been here. Her presence in the Thompsons' house was marked by absence; in her wake she left a lavish landscape unblemished by a speck of dust or single water spot on the edge of the kitchen sink.
Kylie's heart felt heavy. And empty. She knew those feelings conflicted, but it was true.
"I was afraid of that." RJ peered inside the open refrigerator.
"What now?"
"The power's out."
"I was thinking. What if it was an accident at Kennelly Chemical? That's a fertilizer plant, right? Can't that stuff explode?" She waited for that familiar disappointed look from RJ when she said something stupid, but when he brought a pitcher of lemonade over to the island, he only looked concerned.
"I don't think so. It could, in theory, I suppose, but I think it's something else. Something bigger." He paused long enough to drink down most of his lemonade and then refill it. "Ever hear of an EMP?"
"No… what's that?"
"It means electromagnetic pulse. EMP for short. It's theorized that if there's a massive enough explosion high enough in the atmosphere, it would damage electronic circuitry."
"Like a nuke?"
RJ nodded.
"So, what, you mean no electricity across the entire planet?"
"I don't know. It's just a theory. And chances are I'm way off base."
"If there's no power, then it'll be like living in cavemen times," Kylie said with a little laugh. RJ's grave expression drained her of any humor. "Seriously?"
RJ went over to the bank of light switches at the entrance to the kitchen and flipped every switch. Nothing happened, not even a momentary flicker of a single light bulb.
She gasped and grabbed her cell
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