Read In A Universe Without Stars 1: Skyeater for Free Online Page B

off, building up
to the big finish.
    Thora
wraps her arms around him and leans her head against him. He does the same. He
wants to know what’s wrong with her and he plans to find out.

4
- They Came From the Sky
     
     
    It’s
nighttime at
Cole’s house; it has clean modern lines and angles made from an architect’s
dream, with a green crisp yard and a back lawn that overlooks downtown LA. A
beautiful sea of white fire lights up the horizon. It’s the true American
dream, but that dream now seems lost on Cole.
    Inside
his bedroom, he sits alone on his bed in a button up and slacks.
    Outside
his room, upscale party guests fill the work-in-progress kitchen and living
room to the walls. But the anxiety is finally getting the better of him. His
room is a mess, furniture overturned, smoldering holes in the walls. It’s like
a bomb went off. The once totalitarian room is now the exact opposite.
    Cole
stares at his hands, he feels stronger than before. He squeezes them.
    “The
more I use it— “ He trails off. His hands glow, he
becomes entranced in the light as he peers into the cobalt blue haze.
    “The
stronger I—“
    He’s
getting stronger a lot faster than he expected. It gets brighter and brighter,
illuminating the room.
    There’s
a knock at the door. He powers down.
    “Hey!
We can’t have a party without our guest of honor!” the guy yells.
    Cole
looks down. He doesn’t have to do a damn thing anymore. Not with this power .
He takes off his watch and looks under it. From a loving mother to a distant
son, I love you and you will always be a perfect son to me . With this power
he’s not going to let it happen again. It’s his fault she’s gone, his mother.
So he just sits.
    The
guy knocks again. Wait, what is he thinking? He sighs and closes his
hands.
    What
is he going to do? Kill them?
    Everybody
came here to see him, that should make him feel a little bit better, but sadly
it doesn’t. Maybe a little socializing will get him out of this rut but—
    He
looks at his phone, five missed calls from Thora. He has to keep up
appearances.
    “I’m
coming!” he yells.
    Cole
goes through the door. The masses swarm around him, each offering their
congratulations and half felt tidings.
    None
of this matters.
    All
these people greet him just because he’s their boss now. He could just tell
everybody to go home so he could do it again.
    Taste
the power.
    When
he uses it, he feels lighter, his mind is at ease, he feels…different, calm.
    Erin
walks up.
    “Congrats
Cole.”
    His
negative thoughts melts away as they hug.
    “Thanks
for coming.”
    He
smells her perfume, not on purpose, it’s just that she just lays it on thick.
She and Arnold are the only ones he really likes here or ever. Them, Thora and
Julio.
    He
looks around but Julio is nowhere to be seen. He’s always fashionably late.
Maybe Cole should talk to Thora, but first he needs to get some inside
information from her besty .
    “Have
you talked to Thora?”
    “Hey!
Arnold wants to talk to you!” Erin changes the subject; Cole looks ahead.
Arnold is in the kitchen, loading up his plate, Cole looks back.
    Erin
is gone.
    Clever .
    He
sighs and goes over to Arnold. “Hey Arnold.”
    “Oh,
hey, Cole! Congrats man!” Arnold replies.
    “Thanks,
man.”
    Arnold
loads on more food.
    “Aren’t
you on a diet?”
    “You
know that means you’re paying for lunch right?” Everybody is ignoring Cole
today it seems.
    “I
just started man, I’m not even settled in yet,”
    “I’m
just sayin .”
    Cole
looks back, Erin talks to someone in the distance.
    “Just
a second.” Cole heads toward Erin. She notices him. She heads the other way,
pushing her way through the crowd.
    She’s
not going to avoid him in his own damn house.
    “Hey
Erin— “ Cole tries to follow her. “Dammit Erin!”
    There’s
a boom as the house shakes; Cole stops in his tracks.
     Then
there’s silence. The house is very still as everyone looks around.
    “What
was that?”