Chapter 2. Rain begins to pour

Rain begins to pour by the time everyone had fallen asleep, the slight drizzle on the ground became the signal for Arthur to get out of bed and tip toe towards the door.

Slowly sneaking his head out and confirming his father’s snores along with his mother calmly sleeping beside him. Arthur silently closed his door before something tapped his shoulder. Holding in his yelp of surprise he creaked his head around to see Shelly’s familiar silhouette as her face came into view.

“Shelly? What’re you doing awake?” He whispers softly trying not to wake his parents up. Holding up the umbrella in her hand was all that was needed to be conveyed before they nodded their heads in agreement as they slowly tip toed towards the front door and exiting it.

As the doors closed, the sleeping father and mother peeked their eyes towards the direction in which the two had left. Taking out the earplugs in her ears Angel gave a dissatisfied and angry look at her husband for encouraging the two kids to disobey her orders.

“Samuel Galafray, you better give me a good explanation as to why you let those two leave the house.”

“Alone. In the pouring rain. At night.”

With each pause the temperature within the room became colder and chillier to the point that condensation could be seen just from his breathing.

Knowing if he didn’t give her a satisfied answer, he’ll most likely be sleeping on the couch tonight he sighed and tried to reassure her.

“Arthur is our son I wouldn’t let him get into danger, besides it’s just a short walk within the area of the church to look at a meteorite. With Shelly alongside him there’s nothing to be worried about.” He said confidently.

“That’s not a good enough answer Samuel.” She said not holding in her anger.

The temperature within the room got colder as frost started to appear on the walls and covering Samuel in a blanket of it.

Shuddering from the cold, Samuel pulled himself together and replied, “I know, I couldn’t think of a good answer, I was once a curious boy like him going out on adventures and disobeying my parents, it’s what made me the man I am today and I don’t regret any decisions I’ve ever made” he bluntly stated as he looked lovingly at his wife caressing her hand within his.

The chill within the room receded and the temperature started warming up, however it was not enough. “You’re sleeping on the couch tonight.” Angel bluntly replied before kicking him out of the room and slamming the door on his face.

“No! Please! Angel I’m sorry I was wrong! I’m sorry, I regret my decision! I won’t do it again...” A man groveling at the front of the door to his own room was a sight to see.

Laying back down on the bed, Angel with her head rested on the pillow and away from the door, A teasing smile appeared on her face as she closed her eyes before drifting away to sleep.

Footsteps splatter the water from the ground as the pair slowly made their way down the road towards the area of the church. Everything around them familiar yet, eerily different.

“Sh-sh-Shelly, I don’t think we’ve ever walked around at night hu-huh?” Arthur stuttered half from cold half from nervous fright.

“No, we haven’t, but it’s alright the church is only about 20 minutes ahead as long as we stay on the road.” Shelly calmly replied.

“How come you’re so calm right now? Aren’t you scared?” Regaining some energy Arthur asked.

“Why should we be scared? Everyone is asleep and inside away from the rain, this is probably the safest we’ll ever be at night.” Her answer was filled with credibility.

“What about ghosts and monsters, like the demon in the west and the ghost of the eastern plains?” Arthur asked remembering the stories his father used to tell him before bed.

Sigh

“Those are just names of people hundreds of years ago during the time of war, a title because of what they’ve done. There aren’t any demons, ghosts and monsters in the world, the scariest monsters are humans.”

“Oh…”

The pair continued their questions and answer with Arthur asking all the questions and Shelly having every answer until they’ve reached a fork in the road. On the left is a mountainous trail leading them to the next village, and on the right leads straight into the forested area of the church. Taking steady footsteps, the two walks towards the right.

Trees began appearing on the sides of the road blanketing the pathway in dense leaves indicating the that they are getting closer to the church. The minuscule amount of light they had prior walking, disappeared the deeper they went.

“Sh-shelly, I c-can’t see anything, where are you?”

“I’m right beside you, here hold my hand I’ll lead the way.” Shelly reached out her hand to grab his.

“Shelly.” Holding her warm palm in his Arthur followed along asking her questions.

“Yes?” She replied.

“Can you see in the dark?”

“Sort of, yes, my eyes are able to see a lot better than others even at night.”

“That’s cool! I wonder what my eyes can do...” He began to imagine before he turned his head to her.

“I never asked but, how come you know so much?” Arthur couldn’t wait in anticipation as he kept with his questions.

“My memory is also better than others, I just need to see something to remember it. Anyways, we’re almost there I can see the church.” Shelly pulled Arthur along quickening the pace, no more questions to be asked.

The silhouette of the church came into view, a castle-like structure secluded within the forest away from the cities and town. A beautiful garden with hedges taller than the average adult, surrounding the pathway towards the entrance with 5-meter statues of angels on either side of the enormous door. Normally, the church is a highly secured area outside of Sunday’s prayer however, since ending the war, their personnel has yet to come back.

Creeaak

The giant door of the church slowly opens creating an unsettling noise as a person walked out with an umbrella in his hand.

“Is that his holiness?” Arthur made a guess.

“Shh, that’s Michael, why is he outside right now? Shelly replied while covering Arthur’s mouth.

“Michael eh? Let me go talk to him and have him lead us to the shooting star” Arthur replied softly pushing aside Shelly’s hand.

“No, we shouldn’t even be out right now, if you go to Michael, he’ll take us home and tell your father instead. Let’s sneak around him the meteorite should be behind the church past that tall tower.” Shelly pointed at a towering structure at the end of the church’s courtyard.

The church contains 4 towering structures at the corner of it used as post to watch for intruders, however there is no sentry or guards currently so sneaking past Michael should be a cinch.

Rustle rustle

“Hey, who’s there!?”

“Shit” Arthur quickly silenced himself as his shirt accidently got tugged by the branches of the hedges.

“Shh” motions Shelly as she puts a finger in her mouth slowly pulling Arthur to skirt around Michael towards the tower.

Slowly walking over to the direction of the noise Michael looks between the hedges only to see no one there.

Scratching his head in confusion “I must’ve been hearing things”

Sigh

Glancing back at the entrance of the church and cooling down underneath the rainfall Michael murmurs “How much longer will it take for me to get you out…?”

Hurried footsteps eventually reached the side of the tower, the two kids are now wet from hiding the umbrella to escape the Michael as they were running through the wind and rain.

“Sh-Sh-Shelly, I-I’m c-co-cold.”

Shivering from the wind and rain Arthur started to regret not putting on a raincoat before heading out.

Puffing back out the umbrella and shielding him from the rain, Shelly asks in concern “Do you want to go back home? We can go back home right now if you want.” However, looking at the determination in his eyes she already knew the answer when asking.

“How can I when we’re so close to seeing the shooting star? If I see it maybe I can make my wish come true.”

“You have a wish? What is it?” She asked curiously.

“I’m not telling you, if I tell my wish it won’t come true!”

“You’re such a kid.” She said.

“So are you. Now quickly, quickly where do we go next, over there?” Arthur pointed in a random direction.

Pointing in the opposite direction of where Arthur pointed Shelly replied, “We go that way”

Still incapable of moving; Boss, the fallen immortal that can’t get up recognizes the trouble he is currently in. The depression he created landing is slowly starting to fill up with water, if rain continues to pour, he’ll drown to death by morning with no one noticing.

“Ah, shit c’mon little kiddos c’mere already why’re you so far away?”

Exaggerating with his head slightly raised. Looking in the general direction that the children are coming from, Boss is already thinking about how to make himself look cool in front of these youngsters. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize one of them is smart and cautious of him before the other could get to run forward.

“Oh my gosh, I can see the pit up ahead!” Arthur exclaimed in excitement.

“Stop.” Shelly put her arm across his chest halting his advances.

“What’s wrong Shelly?”

“Something doesn’t feel right” She said with unease as she stared towards the direction of Boss’ pit.

“What do you mean? The shooting star! The shooting star is right there!” Arthur said while pointing at the pit in the distance.

“That meteorite is weird.” She said.

“What do you mean the shooting star is weird?” He asked.

“Normally when shooting stars fall into the earth atmosphere, they’ll either break into fragments before disintegrating or if they do land there would be a bright light. If they do make landfall the burst of bright light would show signs of slowing down. She began explaining her reasoning. She had a haunch earlier that it was abnormal, but since it was just a haunch, she paid it no mind.

“Uh huh” Arthur replied pretending to understand.

“However, this thing here didn’t do any of that. We saw it in the evening and when I remembered it, it didn’t break into fragments nor did it glow brightly and slowed down as it plunged into the ground.”

“Oh, I see, so it’s a super meteor…something?” He guessed.

“No, what I’m saying is that it is small based on the depression it made; however, it was bright enough and fast enough to make it onto the ground without breaking. This means it’s super hard.

“So, it is super?” He felt like he was right.

“Maybe, let me finish.”

“Okay”

“The biggest issue none of that at all, the closer we get the more I feel… uncomfortable.” She said with some unease in her voice.

“Maybe, you’re just feeling excited and happy to see it?” He tried to reason.

“It’s not that, it’s a feeling I get only when there is something dangerous up ahead. Something dangerous and living up ahead.” She can feel it. The powers she had is capable of sensing hidden threats.

“What do you mean living? How can a star be living?” Arthur continued asking questions after every sentence.

“That’s the problem, rocks shouldn’t be alive, and if it was harmful in some other way, I would notice that too, yet this thing there is making me feel uncomfortable in the way it is to a living creature.” Shelly tried to explain.

“Wh-what should we do?” He asked slightly startled now.

“We should turn back and inform your parents.” Shelly proposes.

“But if it is something living it might be injured or dead right? I mean if it fell from the sky it’s probably really hurt.” Arthur reasoned.

“It’s still alive, that I’m sure of.” Shelly replied.

“Then we gotta go to it! It’s injured because if it wasn’t injured it would’ve left already.” Arthur believed in his reasoning.

Pondering for a moment Shelly replies, “That is true, however it could also be an egg of an alien creature and that’s why it’s not moving.”

“That’s even better if it is an egg we can hatch it and if we’re the first that they see we’ll be its parents! They can’t hurt us.” Excitedly replied Arthur using earth logic on things alien.

“Alright, let’s go look at it slowly, if it’s scary we’ll run away, if it’s an egg we’ll see if we can hatch it.”

“Yes!”

“Shh!”

“Shh…”

While the two kids finally formed a plan of action and are steadily walking towards Boss, he however, is feeling miserable. He wished he can scream at them right now and tell them to hurry up, but he is incapable of doing so. His once confident and dignified persona he tried to show them came crumbling down. The water is already starting to flow into his mouth even with his head raised. Only a few more gasps of air before his entire body is sunk underneath the meter sized pool of water.

Gasp

“…Oh, fucking shit…”

Blub blub blub

The moment the two kids finally arrived at the edge of the pit; all they saw was a single hand weakly raised out of the water pleading for help.