[M&M 3E] October 1962

[VLAD the Destroyer]

"Prepared?..."

Charlie is dumbfounded by this voice. He scratches his arm as the tingling begins. He takes a step towards the middle of the room when he sees the magma.

"Prepared for what you crazy bi....."

His words are cut off by a scream as the burning starts and Charlie collapses to the floor. His last thoughts before he passes out from the pain is his Pa was right.

 

[tglassy]

Gabriel sits up, embarrassed once more. But that was a way of life for him.

He wasn’t paying attention to the voice, so he didn’t understand when his skin started burning. He fell to the floor, screaming.

 

[jmucchiello]

"I don't have time for this!" Jennifer screams as feel herself starting to burn. "What is going on?"

 

[KahlessNestor]

New Falls, Washington/New Falls High School
Tuesday, October 23, 1962/12:15

Sofia took a moment to catch her breath after rushing into the shelter. She looked back at the iris door as it closed. And then the lights shut off.

“Um...is that supposed to happen?” Sofia asked, reaching out and feeling around the room in the dark. Someone told them to remain calm. “That would be easier if you turned the fu--flippin’ lights on!” Sofia snapped at the voice.

And then a series of vibrations and pauses ran through the room. Sofia wasn’t much for church, but right about now she wished for her rosary beads, and maybe a priest for confession. “Madre de Dios,” she murmured.

And then the floor dropped away. Sofia screamed as she fell to the ground, lights strobing along the walls as she struggled to right herself.

And then that annoying female voice again. Relocation? Safe zone? She thought the bunker was the safe zone! Where was it going now?

And then she could see through the walls! How the hell was that possible? They were traveling through rock like it was...pudding, and then it wasn’t even rock, but...lava?

“What the hell is going on? Tell-what? Prepared for what?” She tried to find the others in the dark. Her skin was beginning to itch, and then to burn, and all that was left was the screaming and the pain.

Dexterity: 1D20 = [8] = 8

 

[tglassy]

Fire. The world was fire. First, it seemed in from his skin, igniting his nerves, charring him to the bone.

Then a furnace erupted in his core. He tried to scream, but couldn’t catch his breath. He managed to hold his hand up, and saw his fingers charring, burning, disintegrating. His last thought was of his mother.

Gabriel’s body crumbled into burning embers and ashes.

The ashes slowly cooled, as as the last one did, they began to swirl and drift into the air. They coalesced in the air, swirling I to one spot.

Then they ignited.

Light. The fire inside had been replaced with light.

In a burst of light, A Gabriel appeared in the air.

He took a breath. He was alive. He was perfectly whole.

And he was perfectly naked.

The fat teenager hovered for a moment more as the light faded, before crashing to the floor in a heap.

He rolled over, feeling his consciousness slip in and out as his body settled. His wings formed a nice cushion for him, insulating his naked body from the cold ground. He absently moved one to cover himself, shy even as he was only semiconscious.

Wait. Wings?

As Gabriel slipped in and out of consciousness, he realized that having wings with bright red and orange feathers was NOT normal.

 

[jmucchiello]

When the "dust" settles, in the place where Jennifer Arden, scholar, athlete, driven student stood, is a pure, clear, crystal statue of a teenage girl standing erect, her face looking up making a silent cry of anger and pain. Her arms stiff and straight, close to but not touching her sides, fists clenched. Her clothes and bookbag are part of the statue. If she didn't warp the light that passed through her, she would be next to impossible to see.

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Charlie is in darkness, complete and utter black. He is unaware where he ends and the dark begins. He remembers the burning and the bunker but it is distant in his memory like a bad dream. All he knows is the darkness. The burning in his chest brings the realization that he had been holding his breath. Fear spikes as he is unsure if there is anything to breath in this void. He takes an involuntary breath and feels a cold slithering pour down his throat and into his lungs.

Inside the bunker Charlie lays on the floor of the room not breathing. Seconds later he gasps once for breath and begins to convulse. His back arching impossibly high and flailing around. Within seconds he collapses back to the floor breathing shallowly. With each exhalation inky black smoke pours out of his mouth and begins to pool on the floor. His eyes which flutter open have turned entirely black. As he stands more black inky smoke pours from his body pooling like a fog around his feet. In the back of Charlie's mind he can feel the connection to the void. It is now part of him and he can see it pouring out through him into this world.

 

[KahlessNestor]

New Falls, Washington/New Falls High School
Tuesday, October 23, 1962/12:20

Sofia stared in horror as Gabriel flared into fire and turned to dust. Jennifer froze into a crystal statue. Charlie collapsed into smoky blackness.

“O Dios! O Dios!” Sofia cried out. She screamed in terror. Her entire body itched. She backed away as Gabriel’s ashes swirled up and ignited again, and then Gabriel was back, naked, and with wings. Charlie was standing up, breathing black smoke. Jennifer was still crystalized.

“Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!” Sofie screamed at the female voice that had been speaking earlier.

And then Sofia vanished.

 

[Mark Chance]

Time passes. The students fade in and out of consciousness. The room continues to move, continues to be bathed in heat and light as it slides effortlessly through molten rock.

"Stress levels unacceptable," the female voice says. "Initiating frequency shift. Decrease alpha and beta. Emphasize delta."

Pain and fear decrease and then vanish, along with conscious thought. The students dream of pleasant memories and heartfelt wishes. Time loses its meaning.

"Children," an intruding voice says. "This is Mom. Time to wake up."

As if rousing from a restful slumber, the students do wake up. They're in the shelter. Gone are the flashing lights, the sensation of movement. The aromas of fresh-baked bread and bacon waft in the warm air. Soft light emanates from three covered light bulbs affixed to the ceiling.

In the corner farthest from the entrance stands a wooden table, covered with a white tablecloth. Four chairs are set near the table, one at each end, two facing the wall against which the table presses. Covered dishes wait on the table along with two pitchers of orange juice.

"Please eat. You need to replenish nutrients."

 

[tglassy]

"Children," an intruding voice says. "This is Mom. Time to wake up."

Gabriel rolled over, shoving his head in the pillow. "I don't wanna get up, yet," he said. He accidentally rolled awkwardly on his wing, and had to lift himself up to readjust. That was better.

"Please eat. You need to replenish nutrients."

Oh, food. That would be nice. He was starving. He scratched an itch on the tip of his wing and rolled back over.

Wait...

He shot up and looked at his shoulder. There was a wing. A literal wing. It had red and orange feathers. Literal feathers were growing out of his back. Feathers were not supposed to be growing out of his back.

A quick glance told him he wasn't home anymore. He was in a bomb shelter, on a cot. He seemed to remember...

Pain. Lots of pain. He'd...he'd died. He's burned up.

He'd also been naked. He lifted the thin blanket he had and found someone had put soft white pants on him. That was nice of them. He tried not to think about the fact that someone had had to dress him.

He wore no shirt, though. Of course. That would be hard with WINGS poking out of your back. But...maybe it was his imagination, but his stomach didn't stick out quite as far as it usually did. Considering he looked at himself every single morning while getting ready for school, to see how much he had gained/lost, he'd become fairly well aquatinted with his appearance. He was still a fatty, just...not quite as much.

That's when the smell of the food hit him, and all thoughts of his appearance flew from his mind. He was STARVING. And not the usual "I-feel-sick-so-I-need-to-eat" feeling, either. He was actually hungry. His stomach gave a literal growl when he spotted the food on the table.

He made a bee line for it, sitting at one of the chairs and lifting the lid.