The Long Flight Home
      Chapter 6
 

Taj Mahal Theater - Midnight

The doors of the theater burst open as the late night crowd spilled into the rainy streets. The theater marquee blinked off and on, in a haphazard fashion, some lights having burnt out long ago. The double bill on this Friday night was "The Blob" and "Fire In The Sky". This weekends double feature had two UFO flicks guaranteed to keep you close to your date, or just leave you wishing you never had to go out at night again. The $2.50 ticket guaranteed a full house. Teenage lovers and film buffs alike had jumped at the opportunity to get some scares on a stormy night. One such group of teens, ran laughingly through the rain, dodging puddles of water in their madcap dash to their car, and safety from the downpour. Seeing as the hour was late, the group decided to go to Lookout Point instead of the usual drive thru for biggie sized fries and cokes. After the scares of the night, the boys were hoping for some serious sweetness from their babes. The girls were game. After their night of freaks and chills, they could use some strong arms to snuggle in.

The twisting, winding road which lead to Lookout Point was even more treacherous this night. Not only had the rain increased in it's tempo, but the wind had begun to howl also. The boys couldn't have asked for a better necking opportunity than this! By the time they made it to Lookout Point their women would be so wound up from the spooky flicks and the heavy atmosphere of the storm that they would be looking for any excuse to be close to them!

The girls weren't so sure this midnight drive was such a good idea now. They would rather have gone parking on a nice, calm starry night. The road was deserted and the only light came from the frequent flashes of lightning coupled with the glow from their headlights piercing the gloom in front of them. Nervously glancing out the rear window of the car the girls felt little comfort from the almost imperceptible glow that the car's taillights cast on the empty road behind them. Their apprehension only grew as the storm increased in strength. They were just about ready to ask the boys to turn around when something ahead of them caught the attention of all the occupants in the car.

"Did you see that glow of light up around the bend?", one of the girls asked apprehensively. When silence met her query, she asked again. "Come on guys, don't play dumb. Didn't you see what I did. It looked like a large orange glow in the sky! Answer me someone!"

One of the boys answered her sarcastically. "What glow? Are you seeing UFOs now, Karen?

"Shut up, Steve! I know what I saw, and I saw an orange glow up ahead. Look, you can still see it", Karen pointed excitedly. "All right, this is giving me the creeps Steve, let's just turn around and go home. I think I've had enough for tonight", Karen said shakily.

"We agree with Karen", the other couple added.

"What a carload of whimps", Steve joked. "Come on guys, you don't really think there's anything up around that corner, do you?", Steve questioned. The silence from the other occupants of the car spoke volumes. "Well if you chickens want to turn around, I will, but first I want to go investigate that glow. Is everyone O.K. with that? Otherwise, I can just drop you all off right here and you can take your chances walking back to town". The other three protested vocally and Steve could only laugh . "Please guys, were almost there. I'm sure that glow was just lightning striking a tree. Just wait, and you'll see I'm right." Reluctantly, the group agreed, and as the car negotiated yet another hairpin turn, the glow grew closer and seemed more ominous.

As their car grew closer to the source of the orange gleam it became apparent that it was a fire, but the teen's couldn't see if it was from a lightning strike or not. Flames reached greedily into the heavy canopy of maple trees and firs that clung stubbornly to the sheer drop on the left hand side of the road.

Slowing, the car crept cautiously towards the right side shoulder of the road. Steve and his pal Tony urged the girls to stay put while they investigated the source of the blaze. Struggling to open the drivers side door against the force of the buffeting winds, Steve cautiously made his way to the back of his car to retrieve his Coleman battery powered lantern from the trunk. Cupping his hands against the wind he yelled to Tony to follow him across the road. Their haphazard dash across the slick road was punctuated by flashes of lightning that eerily lit the tableau in front of them. The glow of the lantern bounced off the steady downpour creating prisms of crystal refracted light. Coming to a stop at the edge of the drop off, Steve and Tony peered down into the deep chasm that ended somewhere far below.

"I can't tell what's down there Tony, can you see anything?", Steve yelled over the storms strength.

"Let's wait for the next flash of lightning", Tony yelled back. "We might get a better look then."

A huge clap of thunder greeted Tony's last statement while lightning tore across the sky in a jagged tear. Neither of them were prepared for what they saw. Lying wheels up, was a very large car almost completely engulfed in flames. It obviously had gone over the edge of the road, but where?

Steve shouted to Tony to go call 911 on his cell phone. Pointing downward, his gestures told Tony that he would try to find a way down to the vehicle. As he turned to run back across the road, Tony yelled for Steve to be careful. Holding up a hand in affirmation, Steve moved up the road looking for the point of impact where the big car had gone over the edge. He found what he was looking for one hundred feet further up. An ugly mass of twisted guardrail met his seeking gaze. The crash had to have been violent, for the railing was crushed and bent for at least fifty feet or more farther up the road. Gingerly moving through the gaping tear of metal, Steve began the slippery descent down the steep terrain.

Tony sprinted back across the road, shock and concern reflected in his eyes. The girls were frightened when they saw how pale and agitated he was. Asking Karen where Steve kept his cell phone, he shakily related what he and Steve had seen. Their silly, fanciful, UFO thoughts pushed aside, the girls quickly realized that Tony was dead serious. Karen handed Tony the phone and then left the safety of the car to look for blankets in the trunk. Karen tried to remember all that she had learned in health class. She knew that victims went into shock very quickly and that keeping them warm was a high priority. Digging in the trunk she found a plastic tarp and a couple of blankets that she and Steve had used often for picnics. Tony's date Shauna sat stunned in the passenger seat as Tony tried to get a call through to 911. The heavy interference of the storm was making it impossible for any outgoing calls.

"Damnit", he barked in frustration. "What in the hell do we do now?".

"Keep trying Tony, and for God's sake don't give up!", Shauna encouraged.

Poking her head into the interior of the dry car, Karen told Tony and Shauna that she was going to go help Steve. Folding the blankets and tarp as best she could, Karen shoved them inside her jacket to protect them from becoming drenched as she made her way to find Steve. Not knowing what to expect, she bravely made her way across the road and followed the drunken bobbing of Steve's lantern to orient herself to his whereabouts. She audibly gasped when she saw the large car in flames. Even with the heavy downpour the smell of ignited gasoline permeated the air, and the burning metal hissed and popped as the flames licked hungrily at it's prey. Karen heard the crackling of windows as they yielded to the pressure of the heated inferno. She lost hope for any survivors as she gingerly made her way down the embankment towards Steve.

Tony had almost given up hope of reaching 911 when a fuzzy ringing reached his ears. The connection sucked, but at this point he'd take a bad connection rather than none. A disembodied voiced answered, "911, what is your emergency?"

"I want to report a car accident", Tony anxiously replied. "We are on old highway 78, near Lookout Point. Please send someone quickly, there is a car on fire and I don't know how many people are hurt."

"You need to remain calm for me, O.K. sir?", the operator firmly responded. "You are my only link to finding out as much information as we can before the fire truck and paramedic units get there. Is there anything else you can tell me about the accident?", she probed.

"I can't tell you anything but that the car is resting on it's roof down a steep embankment and that it is almost completely on fire. My buddy and his girlfriend have gone down to see if they can help. I'll stay here and wait for them to come back and give me any news ", Tony shakily answered.

"Good sir, you stay on the line with me. I've already dispatched the fire units and they will be out to you as soon as possible. The storm is wrecking havoc with all of our emergency personnel tonight. You hang in there, O.K.?", the operator intoned in a clam matter.

"Yes, I'll stay on the line and let you know if my friends find anything out while we wait", Tony answered back, feeling a little more calmed by the operators voice at the other end.

Steve had almost reached the vehicle, but was held back by the heat emanating from it. Karen caught up with him, and as they both looked on in horror, a ball of flame burst forth from the car knocking them over backwards. The force of the blast disoriented them and it took them a few moments to regain their senses.

"What the hell are you doing down here Karen", Steve demanded angrily.

"I thought you might need help Steve, and I brought blankets from the trunk", Karen answered woozily.

"For God's sake Karen I don't need to worry about you too. You need to get out of here. It's not safe. This car could blow again at any minute."

"If we work together Steve maybe we can find the occupants of this car around here somewhere", Karen lashed back. Do you think anyone survived?"

"I don't know but we can't get close to the car that's for sure. Let's look around the general area. There are so many rocks and trees, and fallen branches. There could be someone anywhere out here. You go to the left, I'll go to the right, O.K. Karen?"

"Steve, I'm scared. What if I find someone, and their dead?" Karen shook with delayed shock at the blast and fear

"You'll do fine Karen. Just hurry and remember, I'm here." Steve gave her a quick hug and squeeze then melted into the darkness of the shadows around the blazing vehicle.

Karen faced the blackness in front of her, drew in a deep breath for courage and purposefully moved forward. The terrain was rugged and she tripped several times as she made a wide swath around the car. Straining her eyes, she looked for anything that might resemble something human. As a large flash of lightning streaked overhead, it momentarily illuminated the ground around her. Not five feet in front of her lay a prone form. It looked like a crumpled rag doll. Karen screamed for Steve, her lungs hurting with the rising panic she felt. She screamed his name again, sobs beginning to bubble forth. As another flash of light lit the sky she saw the eyes of the lifeless form. They were opened, unseeing, unknowing. Karen felt like she was going to vomit. She choked back the bile as Steve reached her side. Karen collapsed against him unable to move. He shushed her gently and moved towards the broken form.

Michelle drifted in and out of dreams, or were they? Somewhere in her mind was the realization that something was terribly wrong. A pain not long forgotten teased her memory, skittering along the edges of her consciousness. As fast as it came, it went. She felt numb, disconnected. She tried to focus, but a great fatigue assailed her. Sleep, yes, sleep was what she needed. An overwhelming pain swept through her body, and she could think no more. Sounds and sensations assaulted her from within and without.

She needed silence, but the cacophony of noise around her grew. A streaming wetness poured over her, and blinding light stabbed behind her eyelids. She heard voices. She didn't recognize them, but she tried to call out to them. She heard a loud wail from high overhead. Was this the chorus of Angels she heard? No, it couldn't be. These voices were strident. They had an edge, an urgency that even her clouded mind could grasp. She began to panic, and as her panic grew, so did her awareness. Adrenaline was urging her to a greater consciousness, but the pain was too great, and the sounds, and the light were becoming unbearable. "Stop the light", her mind screamed. She frantically tried to open her eyes, but her body would not respond. As a clawing pain moved swiftly through her body, she gave herself up to it's hypnotizing control. Her world went black.

The plaintive wail of the rescue units siren gave Steve a strength he never knew he had. He told Karen to climb back up the steep incline and direct the paramedics to where he and the inert form were located. He had to push her to get her to move. She couldn't seem to pull herself away from the empty stare of the open eyes in front of her. They looked accusing, and betrayed. As Karen stumbled away she knew that she would never forget them as long as she lived.