Nikanatedanniell

Chapter 36 A Pint-sized Prophetess deals with anger

Debby sat in the back seat of the station wagon by Liam and sulked. She wanted to sit in one of the very back fold down seats but Grandmami Taet told Lans and Nani to sit there. Sometimes she wished she could throw tantrums. Not yelling tantrums as she did on the com unit, but down on the floor, kicking and screaming tantrums. She tried one at home but her mother tossed her a dust rag and told her to mop the floor while she was at it. They didn't seem worth doing after that. Right now though, they just might be. Except, there was no room in the station wagon and Grandmami Taet would cry.

I have had it. I want to go home. I want to go to my room and play with my toys and hug my mommy. I want to throw that stupid ball into the ocean. No, not the ocean, the sun, I want to burn it up in the hot sun. But, I don't even know where it is. She sat glumly, looking first at her knees and then her shoes, anywhere but at any of the others. No one spoke for a time and then the sky became dark.

"It appears we are in for a nasty storm," Bitha said. "We were supposed to have clear skies for the entire week. We should be home before the rain starts.

Debby craned her neck to look out the windshield. When she got out at the single story farmhouse, faint flashes of lightning lit the clouds almost overhead. She started counting and gave up at twenty. "Wow," she wondered aloud.

"No thunder, that lightning is way up there.

"Wings of Power," Lans exclaimed, "I have never seen so much lightning in one place. Just look at it."

"Neither have I," agreed Bitha. "I wonder what it means."

They stood fascinated by the light show until a large, dark object fell through the clouds above their heads. "To the house, quickly," Liam shouted above the wind. He grabbed Debby and with the others ran across the large back yard, away from the apparent landing site. They entered the house via a small mudroom and went into a spacious kitchen.

"Get down everyone," Liam ordered. He placed Debby face down on the floor. She looked to the side and saw Liam bending over her. Someone else knelt by her legs. A quick glance ahead told her it was Nani; the others were kneeling with their hands over their heads. She grabbed Liam's shirt when she heard a roaring sound followed by an explosion which rocked the house. Within seconds, two more less severe explosions sounded.

"Is it over? Can we get up yet?" she asked after a few more seconds of silence.

"I believe so," Liam said cautiously. He stood, "everyone stay in the kitchen while I check outside."

Debby scooted to the others and they waited several minutes. She was just about to ask if someone else would check when a male in a mechanic's suit came in. Everyone stood when he entered.

"Srn. Ami," Robbil said cautiously, "I am sorry to walk in, but Server seMorrlá told me to call Emergency Services. Three Imperial Spacecraft have just crashed."

Debby jumped and yelled, "spacecraft where?"

"You must be Debby. Server seMorrlá told me to tell you to stay in the house. He is checking the nearest craft for survivors."

Bitha told him to follow her and they left the room. Taet took hold of Debby's shoulders.

"I want to see the spacecraft," Debby pleaded. "Please, may we just go outside to look? Just stand there and look."

"Well, Liam must have had a good reason to want you to stay in the house," Taet began. Debby was sure a solid no would come next and hung her head. "But, there are windows by the back door. Why do we not all go and look out of them? Perhaps we can see something."