Domed Judgment

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Anna and I sat in the backseat of Anthony’s bright blue four door sedan that was a couple years old. Darris rode up front with his brother. The ride on Hillsboro to Hwy 96 was uneventful. Turning left on to the highway, we were only a couple of miles outside of Franklin. Eerily, we hadn’t seen another car, very unusual for this time a day. It had to be getting close to rush hour.

We crossed the bridge. As we approached The Farm, the hairs on my body stood up and a tingling shot through my body. Rounding the bend, next thing I know I am only attached to this Earth by my seat beat.

Shaking my head, I tried to clear my hearing. I heard Anna scream then crying, I think. I looked over at her. She’s crumbled up on the seat. Sounds were slowed and muffled. God, are you there? Am I okay?

A hand on my shoulder shook me. I looked up there stood Darris. His hand shook as it reached in through the broken window down to help steady me as I crawled out. I avoided the biggest pieces of jagged glass. Anthony slid out his door yanking on the door knob on Anna’s side.

“Are you okay?” Darris asked me.

I nodded. “And you?”

He nodded.

“What about your brother?” Searching my body, I wasn’t able to find any cuts but bruises will show by tomorrow, I’m sure. 

“He’s okay. I think.”

“What happened?” I asked Anthony as he and Anna joined us up on the shoulder of the road, while I brushed the debris off of me. 

“I felt weird, like my head was cloudy. Then we hit the car. Sorry.” The car crashed into a line of wrecked cars standing still in front of his blue four door sedan, spread across the entire roadway. There had been nowhere for Anthony to go.

“Look at that.” Anna pointed toward the line of wrecked cars. “We’re not alone. Can you see the fog?”

“I’ve never seen fog form a defined line like that.” Anthony said, “It’s usually fuzzy and gradual.”

We walked toward the wall. My body tingled all over. My hair stood straighter. I glanced over at the rest of them. I wasn’t alone.  I scanned the area. “Where are the cars’ occupants?” I asked. God, I feel lost and alone! Where is everyone?

Anna grabbed my arm. “Look.” She pointed to the ground where the grass and road met. The ants in swarms carrying their white larvae rushed away from the fog toward the river.

Ignoring the ants, we walked towards the fog. The tingling intensified with each step closer.

Anthony stopped abruptly. He moved violently to my left, almost as if he flew through the air. He landed hard in the pasture with his left leg bent at an unnatural angle. We screamed. The crows flew up in the air from their snack of a decapitated cow.

Rushing down the steep embankment to help Anthony, we slid most of the way. I saw many sets of footprints after we crossed the small damp ditch.

“Are you okay?” Darris asked.

Anthony nodded, “Help me up.” He gingerly flexed his leg. “It’ll be sore for a few days. No game tomorrow.”

Staring at the electrified fog wall, I said,“If there’s a game tonight or tomorrow, we’re not invited.” Specifically to Anthony, while rubbing my nose, I added, “Wow! You stink.”

Anthony brought up his arm closer to his face. The hair still standing was singed as was the hair on his head. “Ugh, I got my hair cut on Saturday.” He rubbed the top of his head, “Now, I need another one. Soon!”

Several of the crows dove at Anthony. There was no way to get back up that embankment in a hurry. We headed into the nearby cornfield. I hoped to hide from the birds. But as we ran we attracted the attention of the rest of the flock. They dove and plucked out our hair. We ran harder. I tripped. Darris helped me up. Each step forward lessened the pain of the tingling.

© 2013 Kim Izzy