Looking To The Stars (A Super 8 Epilogue FanFic)

The Deputy's Girl

Each officer tells her "say thanks to Alice fore me" through meat and bread mush. Elizabeth takes her half of her father's sandwich, as usual, before eyeing Cary, sitting to her father's right, across from her. 

"I didn't know that Bomb Squad or firemen were so involved in the protection of the town's treasure, a wrecked water tower."

He shrugs. "Just catching up with your old man, kiddo," he replies as he chews. 

Elizabeth turns to her father. "Mom wants to know when you'll be home."

Deputy Lamb looks at his watch. "If all goes smoothly - " he glances pointedly at Cary " - I'll be home by seven."

Cary clears his throat. "What's Alice making for dinner?"

Elizabeth and her father share a look, andshe rolls her eyes. "Some type of casserole."

"Nice."

Two large crates in the corner catches her eye as she scans the room, distorting the whiteness of the space. "What's that?"

"Some other stuff the crew found while they were fixing the pipes," says Daniels.

"From The Occurrence?"

Her father nods.

"But that was twenty years ago."

"Well," begins Cary in a matter-of-fact tone, "the explosion had tons of force and sent the junk hundreds of feet into the ground."

"Uh-huuuh." She draws it out and looks at her father, who looks at Daniels, and then sighs.

"Just be careful, okay? We're lucky it wasn't taken from us."

"Yeah, for cosmic radiation. Ooooooh," interrupts Cary. He jerks his head to the crates. "Go crazy, kid."

"It's not like she'll ever live up to your standard," comments Daniels. The guys all guffaw. Even her father smiles.  Cary shakes his head.

The two wooden boxes lie side by side on the floor, filled and overflowing with all sorts of junk dug up from last month's construction. They're all artifacts from the Occurrence. The dirt was still packed onto most of it. Bits of metals. Chunks of metal. Barrels of guns. Car parts. Road signs. The largest pieces stuck out from the top, impaling anything that fall upon it. That junk she shoves aside. They aren't interesting. The bottom was littered with small tokens - coins, small bits of the water tanks, miscellaneous shards of bent or twisted metal, nails and screws, watches and bracelets. 

And one necklace, the charm and pendant caked with dirt. It was cold in her hand, and seemingly soft. The dirt fell off with the brush of her thumb. On a whim, she shoves it in her pocket before standing up and brushing the filth of off her pants. 

"Anything interesting?" Cary asks. 

"Nah. Just junk really, and a few bucks in change." Elizabeth goes over to her father and kisses him on the cheek. "See you at dinner."

"Love you, Elizabeth. Tell your mother I love her."

She nods.

"Hey, where's the kiss for Unce Cary?"

Elizabeth rolls her eyes before pecking him daintily on the cheek and leaving. 

By the time Elizabet returns home,  everybody is already at the house, surrounding the TV. Her mother is sitting in the the school's schedule in her hands and her planner on the table. 

"Hello, sweetie. Did Joe say when he should get home?"

"7-ish."

"Thank you, hon."