Chapter 29

  Forge of Necessity

  The air in the meadow felt scrubbed clean, the repressive atmosphere starting to recede as acceptance of the new normal started to take root.

  The group moved with a chilling, shared purpose as the day wore on.

  They had been irrevocably changed by the night's events.

  Jimmy found his Mom at the edge of the funnel, her eyes distant and red, moisture glistening on her cheeks.

  He looked at her with a concerned stare.

  ?"Oh, I'm not crying because you killed them sweet heart.. I'm crying because you had to.. And will have too." she said, her voice rough with exhaustion.

  "I'm here to grieve the loss of who we were. The world made you a killer, Jimmy. But you did it to save us. Just.. please.. Don't lose yourself?"

  ?Jimmy nodded, the words difficult to force out.

  "I won't, Mom. We move on. We get stronger.. So maybe we will have better choices."

  ?

  Nearby, Jaime watched Dan working.

  She sat next to Belle in quiet solidarity of fear.

  Not of Dan and Jimmy, but of what this world had in store for them.

  I'm simply scared.

  Scared we may get hurt.

  Scared of who we may lose.

  Scared… of what we may have to become.

  She just knew that she had to be ready.

  Ready to do what she had to for her family.

  ?

  Dan was driving the large fortification stakes.

  Body anchored to the ground.

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  His new power didn't have a name or a concept for him.

  It just felt like an intense dead weight pressing down.

  Feels like I'm benching 405.

  ?

  Kim approached him, Luna by her side, determined to gain strength.

  She came face to face with death, and felt a new drive.

  ?"I need to know how to use my Qi," Kim stated. "Tell me how to make it a weapon."

  Dan paused, looking genuinely stumped.

  "I wish I could, Kim. Mine just feels stubborn. I can’t move it. I can't direct it. I don't know what it does besides make my feet hurt. I wish Ken was here..."

  She sighed, “Yeah, me too…”

  Before Kim could press, Chris moved from his work-log, where he’d been scraping hide.

  ?"He can't help you, but maybe I can," Chris spoke cautiously, replaying the sensation he'd felt yesterday and which lingered now.

  “I think I'm starting to figure mine out? I feel like... like my energy has something to do with heat or fire?"

  ?

  Chris stood, hand in front of his face, staring intently.

  Ever so slowly, the others noticed a wisp of smoke over his palm.

  Then another.

  Then a slightly bigger one.

  Suddenly a pingpong ball sized fireball flared to life, and just as abruptly flared out.

  Hiss

  Chris’ surprised face was revealed through the smoke.

  Luna jumped and barked at him.

  “Holy shit Chris! Since when can you make fireballs?”

  Dan was both excited and immediately jealous of this newest revelation.

  “Yeah Chris that was really cool!”

  Kim looked closely at his palm, “Did it hurt? I wonder if i can do that..”

  “..I like fireballs…” Dan said under his breath.

  Kim smirked, giving Dan a quick look.

  “Nah, it did feel warm and tingly though.”

  “I'm not exactly positive.. It felt like my Qi wanted to move, or rub against itself?”

  “When it did, it all seemed to get all… hot.”

  “So I made it rub itself faster.”

  “Ta-da!” Chris flourished his hand with a bow.

  “You know… that was… pretty goony Chris.” Dan stated with raised brow.

  “Wha-huh?” he shot up from his bow.

  “Yup, definitely goonery Chris.” Kim chimed in, while petting Luna.

  Luna’s eyes wouldn't leave Chris’ hand

  “Oh what the fuck ever. You guys are just jealous of my absolute power!”

  Dan turned back to the stake he was driving into the earth.

  “Oh, by the way, you burned off your eyebrows.”

  “BALLS!”