The Sky Has Fallen

| Chapter 14

Chicago's nighttime blessed me with its beauty once David exited the freeway ramp onto city streets. I pressed my head out of the passenger window to look out at the sky, at the few stars.

And that was when I heard it.

There was a strange hum in the air. Quiet but there. When I glanced up at the sky, I saw the ship more than normal. It hung beneath the clouds rather than above them. The same red lights I'd seen the other night flashed on the ship's side.

Pulling my body back inside the car, I looked back at Vera in the backseat. "No one's noticing this?" I asked.

She shook her head.

I looked at David next. "And you? You can't hear that? The humming."

"I mean," David shrugged as he turned us on another street, taking us downtown. "I was listening to music, so nah."

Nah.

Outside the window the city was filled with life. So much of it, it was crowded with people. They were on the sidewalks, inside restaurants; outside where the sound could be heard.

Yet, none of them looked up. Heads were faced down, eyes glued to the screens of their phones. Even those who were with friends, talking and laughing, did so while scrolling through the internet

If they would only look up and open their eyes to the skies.

"I bet everyone is listening to music," I grumbled as I shifted in my seat, reaching for the business card I'd placed back in the pocket of my jeans. Once in my hands, I flipped it, reading the words printed on its front: Howard Holmes, Chicago Illinois.

"Howard Holmes..." I read the name out loud.

"Howard?" David turned on another street, though he looked at me. "That dude's name is Howard?"

What did it matter what his first name was? "Really?" I rolled my eyes at him, then turned my body to face Vera behind me. "Vera, what happened when you were on the ship?" I needed to know everything.

Vera looked at me with those stars before looking out of the window. "It was normal," she said. "Which was weird considering," she waved her hands around her as though something was falling, "the accident."

"No one reached out to help? The city didn't call your dad or anything?" I asked.

"I don't know. No one ever tells me those things. But since we got back on the ship, I haven't seen my dad. Or Brylon.

I didn't know much about them, but I knew that was weird. With something as disastrous as an engine piece falling from the sky, one would think the higher ups would be around, doing everything in their power to fix it. But to think they were missing, and Vera was alone in all of this?

I gulped.

"I don't know why she just didn't call the city or something." David drummed his fingers across the steering wheel. "What can we do?"

"What can't we do, man?" I slapped his shoulder. "I mean, you remember the cops. They weren't very Pylon friendly."

"Okay?" David turned down another street. Downtown, the people were minimal. "And? Since you think you have all the answers."

I bit the corner of my lip, chewing on it. I looked down at the card again. Thinking back to Holmes, he seemed so nice. So acceptable. We need that.

"We can talk to him," I forced Holmes' card in David's face. "He'll tell us what to do."

David looked at the card, at the name, and huffed. "Can't we just call him? It's late. He ain't going to be there."