They had begun to feel so disconnected after the first day without the luxury of internet and cell phones. By the time the fourth day dawned, Jes had begun to realize just how attached to technology everyone on Earth, especially those in the US, had become. Beyond what she could see with her own two eyes, Jes had no idea what was going on in the outside world. The elven empire seemed to be solidifying their hold south of the highway, but no one could know for certain.

Hadrian had occasionally gone out scouting, but he hadn’t often returned with any solid news. The perimeter of the elven defenses seemed unbreachable. He was absolutely certain, however, that they should move away from the imperial stronghold. It was hard to argue with him that the elves were dangerous. She had seen with her own eyes how dangerous they were, but abandoning her home seemed impossible.

She stood on the porch, leaning her good shoulder against one of the support pillars, drinking a cup of rich, black coffee. Rowdy was down in the grass, checking what she had always called his p-mails. She tried to focus on the parts of her that didn’t hurt, but when slightly more than half of her body was throbbing like an angry toothache, it was difficult. Over the past several days, her pain tolerance seemed to have grown exponentially. She still wore bandages on the seeping burns on her right side and she still couldn’t see out of that eye.

Down in the barn, Gwendy and Rock were taking care of the stock, she had been forbidden from helping, though she had tried this morning. Rest they all said, heal. A heavy weight felt like it had settled over Jes’ heart. Anxiety seemed to well in her, bubbling up at the slightest provocation. There was a heavy sense in her of dread, of waiting for something terrible that was just out of sight. She almost expected to hear the low toned sounds of a horror movie that heightened tension before the big scare. She tried to shrug off the feeling, inhale the warm steam from her cup and close her eyes focusing on the peace of the moment, but as she closed her eyes, she saw strange writhing lines on her eyelids instead of the normal fireworks. Something about those lines made it feel like the bottom fell out of her stomach. Her eyes snapped open, though her right one saw only the white gauze of her bandage.

She rubbed her chest with her right arm, trying to ease the sudden pressure and tension. A strange numb feeling tingled in her chin and mouth. She swallowed hard, the cup rattling against the railing as she tried to set it down. She was breathing too quickly, too shallowly. Her ears felt strange and muffled, almost numb. She tried to draw a full breath, it shuddered in her chest. That hot pressure on her chest seemed to grow heavier by the second. She struggled for another deep breath, grabbing on to the railing as her vision swam.

As suddenly as the strange feelings had overcome her, they vanished, leaving her unsteady and gasping for breath. Her body trembled as a chill raced up her spine. Despite the heat of the October morning, Jes felt as though she had been doused in ice water.

Rowdy was looking at her with a strange intensity.

Jes shuddered again and hurried back inside. There was something out there, something coming. The Azmaelan Empire filled her with an icy spike of dread, but somehow she felt as though something else was out there, something coming. She sat down in one of the recliners in the lliving room and tried to steady her breathing, but no matter how she struggled for calm, she couldn’t quite reach it.