FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 2: Storms of Change

Janice squealed much louder than what was comfortable for anyone in the little taco shop. Still, no heads turned since the sound of Janice's shrill voice was all to common to the ship visited by mostly local regulars.

The tall woman from Vermont with a head full of red, mostly dyed hair, jumped up and out of her seat before Jason could tell he to calm down. She darted around the small, food littered table, and hugged Jason, nearly making him drop his taco in the process.

“Oh, I knew that you would make it!" She squealed again and right into Jason's ear. “You're just so smart and determined." She squeezed him tighter and no one made any move to save Jason.

“Careful there," Kieth said with an amused smirk. He picked up a loose piece of hamburger meat and popped it into his mouth. “I don't think Anthony would want you to damage his goods."

“Already kind of damaged," Anthony chuckled.

Jason gave Anthony a quick glare. His face was becoming a shade of red as his body struggled to get oxygen and pump blood. He let out a deep inhale as soon as Janice let him go.

“Oh." Janice covered her mouth with a hand. “I didn't mean to hug you so hard," she said and grabbed a napkin and began to wipe a bit of drool from Jason's mouth.

Jason took the napkin from Janice after she tried for a second wipe. “It's fine." He held up a hand to stop her from reaching for a second napkin. “I should know by now that the state champion female shot putter can squeeze pretty hard."

“Oh, you," she blushed and waved a hand dramatically. “I only made state last year. Only ever made it to districts before that."

“And destroyed the competition," Anthony added quickly. “You threw farther than the male champion. He couldn't stop staring at you the entire time. No one could, you set a record that will go on for a very long time."

Janice blushed and looked away shyly.

“Today isn't about Janice," Kieth said to draw attention away from the supremely fit, but surprisingly shy shot-putter. He raised his glass bottle of pineapple Jarito. “We're here to celebrate Jason. He's gone beyond us little folk and been accepted to highly esteemed university. I have only been accepted to a community college that has a ninety-nine percent acceptance rate and only because they don't accept known and verified sexual predators."

“To Jason," Janice raised her styrofoam cup of Dr. Pepper. “He will excel beyond all of us, for I am going to the mere Washington State University, known for parties more so than education," she said with an over exaggerated and pompous tone.

“To Jason," Anthony raised his coke. “He will probably graduate before me and I'll have to just mooch off of his success and become a stay at home bum."

Jason laughed and raised up his cup. “To me I suppose." They clinked their drinks and went back to eating their food.

“It looks like it's getting pretty dicey outside," Kieth said and looked out at the growing clouds. They had come in pretty fast and were dark with the promise of rain.

“Hmm." Jason pulled out his phone and looked at the weather. “Was supposed to be clear all day. Liars." He put the phone back and away into his pocket. “So much for spending the entire day together. We'll have to plan something again a later day."

Janice frowned as she looked outside as well. There were already a few raindrops falling, telling of a big get storm brewing. “Mind if you give Kieth and I a ride?" She asked Jason. “We walked here."

“No problem," Jason said without any thought. He bundled up the greasy wax paper his food came on and threw it into the garbage. “We should head out now. My tires are no good in bad weather."

“You've had the same old tires for years now," Anthony teased. “I know you have the money saved up to replace them."

The group headed outside into the parking lot. Others from nearby stores were beginning to head out to their vehicles as well. The wind was beginning to pick up more.

Jason rolled his eyes and sighed. “I hate going to the auto shop. There's always a line." He dug his keys out of his pockets, checking each one until he found them. “I hate lines." A few clicks of the unlock button and Jason's white sedan clicked happily.

Kieth got to the rear left door and popped it open. “The only way to get past the line is to wait in one."

“You get the tires and I can change them for you," Janice said as she got into the rear right seat of the car. He knees were coming close to her chest, but she didn't mind. “My dad taught me how to change tires a long time ago. I'm sure he still has his tools in the garage."

“What can't you do?" Jason said as he buckled up. “You throw like a beast, you fix cars and I've also heard that you hunt as well."

“Deer mostly," Janice shrugged. “Been thinking of going for cougar this year over by Colville."

“Eww, Colville," Kieth stuck out his tongue. “Hicksville."

They shared a quick laugh just as the first few drops began to fall from the sky. They were large, wet drops that made a very audible 'thoomp' on the roof of the car.

Jason kept it safe on the road, driving just at the speed limit with his high beams on. Other cars were doing the same because the rain was coming down hard and fast enough that the windshield wipers were having a difficult time keeping up at all.

About half an hour later, the lightning began to strike. It was quick flashes of light that blinded Jason momentarily each time it struck, followed by massive, angry booms from the heavens.

“God damn," Anthony exclaimed as a bolt of lightning hit the side of a nearby mountain, arcs of electricity spidering in every direction. “Whole place would be on fire if it weren't raining so much already."

A few cars ahead pulled over to the side of the road, emergency blinkers on and smoke beginning to rise from their engine compartments.

“Wonder what that's about?" Jason asked as he slowly drove past them, crossing into the oncoming lane shortly to avoid hitting the pulled over vehicles.

“Don't know," Kieth said and shrugged. “But it sucks to be them."

“Let's just hope that doesn't happen to us," Janice commented and brought out her phone. She tapped the screen a few times and then frowned. “Can't get a signal."

As if on cue, both Anthony and Kieth pulled out their phones as well to check for a signal. Neither of them had a signal either.

“Tower must have been hit or something," Kieth said and shook his phone in mild frustration. “Just our luck."

“I have a different carrier than you," Janice said and pocketed her phone. She went back to looking outside at the lightning that was picking up in periodicity.

They passed another set of pulled over cars. The drivers were out and looked extremely wet and frustrated. Most were trying their phones as well. Luckily, a policeman was pulled over and seemed to be talking on his radio with no issue.

“Maybe all the towers got hit?" Kieth gave Janice a blank look. He was just as confused as her and his answer was just thrown out there. “They are tall and made of metal. Last I checked, lightning loves those kinds of things."

“Cars are made of metal too," Jason said with a nervous twinge to his voice. He had never seen a storm so bad before and he swore that the lightning was zeroing in on him, though it was just that the lightning was getting more frequent. Scarcely a moment went by before another flash illuminated the world. Headlights would be obsolete soon at this rate.

Home, or in this case, Kieth's home, was only another mile away, barely three minutes even at this slow crawl of a drive. It might as well have been on the Moon. Time seemed to go on forever as Jason became very aware of how dangerous the roads were. They passed a car, it was burning. The driver was nowhere to be seen. It was what revelations would be like if Jason believed in god.

Jason and his little band had been lucky to make it as far as the final turn off the highway to head towards Kieth's house. Most vehicles had mysteriously died and a few more had caught fire, being hit by lightning and then quickly abandoned by panicking drivers. Jason wasn't sure if he should leave the car, even if it was burning. The sky was literally exploding at this point.

“Hurry up," Kieth pressed, grabbing onto the back of Jason's seat. He pulled it just hard enough for the driver to notice. “I don't like the idea of dying out here."

“We're not gonna die, you baby," Janice said with gusto in an attempt to raise everyone's spirits. She looked calm on the outside, but on the inside, she wanted to run out of the car and bolt for Kieth's house.

“Just hold on a little longer," Anthony said. His eyes were not on the outside world, but on Jason. He was making sure that Jason was alright. It could be lava outside with people burning alive and Anthony would check on Jason before he even contemplated helping anyone else.

Jason noticed Anthony staring and gave a weak smile. “What a freak storm." He turned and peered. Here at Kieth's house, under the trees, it didn't seem so ba-

There was a loud and bright flash of light. Everything became white and noise that rattled Jason to his core. He felt as if he had been both thrown from his seat and slammed into it the same time. Gravity lost its sense of direction as all sides became a source of pull.

A sense of dread filled Jason's stomach and he opened his mouth to scream, but either he couldn't or it was just too loud to hear, but he felt something odd. His how hurt and continued hurting. His entire body felt as if there was a constant heavy weight on every part of his, suffocating and crushing him. His fingers cracked under his skin. Was this what it was to be struck by lightning?

The moment lasted what seemed like and eternity. Nothing but white and light and then suddenly there was nothing but darkness and silence.

Jason could hear the others breathing and panting. All of them were afraid. There little light, just the starlight from outside. The lightning had stopped at least.

“Is-“ Jason fell into a fit of coughing, bringing up iron tasting phlegm. He swallowed it. “Is everyone alright?"

“That terrifying," Janice replied in a shrill voice. “I think I just died and came back to life again."

“Did we get hit by lightning?" Anthony asked and reached up to hit the interior lights. He stopped when he noticed something strange. He had to reach, what felt a lot more upwards to get to the button. The car was on its side.

“One hell of a lightning strike," Kieth groaned and tried to move, but because the car was on its side, Janice had slid down and on top of him. “Janice! Get your massive body off of me."

She squirmed and grasped for anything to pull herself up with. “I'm trying," she said with a huff and managed to engage her child safety lock on her seatbelt. She then used that as a rope and climbed up to her door where she popped it open with little effort.

Janice climbed out and on top of the car where she then opened up Anthony's door. Anthony had given up on getting the light on, the power wasn't there, and took Janice's hand. He then got on his stomach and reach into the car.

“Jason!" Anthony shouted. “Unbuckle yourself and give me your hand. I'll pull you up."

Jason fiddled with his seatbelt. His fingers felt like jelly and he struggled a little, but then assembly released and he was free. Jason saw the silhouette of Anthony's hand and reached up for it, except when he touched it, Anthony recoiled back.

“Dude," Jason barked out. “Pull me up."

There was a moment's hesitation and then Anthony reached down again and didn't pull back when Jason grabbed on.

Janice then simply lifted Anthony up and Jason along with him. She truly was a beast.

“Why'd you pull back?" Jason said, wiping himself off. His clothes felt a little poofy. He didn't expect so much static electricity to be on him to make his clothes inflate like it was.

Anthony didn't answer, instead, he pulled his phone out and shone his light. He dropped his phone. “Oh my god."

“What?" Kieth said from inside the car. “Someone help me get up. Don't you 'oh my god' anything when I'm not there."