Chapter 2: Stonehenge

Fae rushed over to the little girl. She laid sprawled unmoving on a small mound where Fae dropped her. Fay pulled her into her lap. She was cold to the touch. Still breathing. The back of her shirt, burnt and torn. Searching, Fae couldn't find any burns or wounds on her back. It was whole and unharmed as if the lightning had been a dream. A gurgling sound reminded Fae of the man. He was covered in blood with gurgling bubbles escaping from the holes in his chest. He lived.

"Help! Somebody help me!" she cried. All the suspended panic of the day washed over her. Regardless of what had happened - this was real. He was dying. She heard voices answering her from the lighted center of the megaliths.

"Who's there?" they were yelling.

"Help! Please help me! Their hurt!" Fae could feel herself loosing it.

Three people, silhouetted by the light ran towards her. A huge bear of a man and two smaller women. The man skidded to a stop and swept his gaze over them before kneeling down by the hurt man.

"What are you kids doing out here alone? Where are your parents?" he said.

"Here now, let me help you with her." The blond woman said as she gently took the little girl out of Fae's lap.

"Come on its safe dear. No one's going to hurt you. Lean against me dear. Shh, its safe." The other woman, a redhead, said as she pulled Fae up into her arms. Fae's sobs shook her whole body making it difficult to see and walk. Fae let the woman guide her into the center of the stone rings. A bright camp fire cast light and warmth through the small circular space. The other woman was cradling the little girl by the fire.

"You sit down here by the fire dear. Don't worry we'll take good care of your brother and sister. I'm Rose. Her name is Sara." Rose said waving towards the blond.

"Don't worry Ian will take good care of your brother."

"He's not my brother. I don't know either of them..." Fae said before returning to staring at the fire. She felt numb and the flames were comforting. Rose kept talking for awhile before letting Fae be alone with her thoughts. Something was wrong. She was sober but things just kept getting stranger. How did she get to the south of England from Dublin in one night? Who are these people? Where was Danny? It wasn't like him to let her go running off high.

Lost in her thoughts, Fae drifted off to sleep by the fire.

* * *

Fallon woke to the morning sun shining on his face. The sun was framed between two giant stone pillars with a third set across the top. Mist covered the land to the horizon. Fallon sat up and looked around. A leather jacket slipped off his shoulders. Shivering, Fallon quickly put the jacket on. Steam from his breath came out in little gasps as he blew on his fingers to warm them up.

Three stone arches much larger than the rest formed a semi-circle behind him. A blue green stone obelisk was centered in the semi-circle, unknown runes were engraved into it covering every surface. The semi-circle reminded Fallon of the church his parent's attended. It was surrounded in smaller, maybe man-sized, blue pillars forming a circle like many fingers thrust into the air. A huge ring of stone arches enclosed the space in yet a larger circle. The place reminded Fallon of the pictures of Stonehenge. Stonehenge was a ruin and these looked new.

In the center of it all - looking completely out of place - was the ashen remains of a campfire. Smoke still rose forlornly into the sky. Sleeping forms were huddled around. Glittering frost covered the ground and stones heightening the surrealism. He hurt all over.

"Not a dream." Fallon said putting his fingers through the bullet holes in his shirt. Ugly red circular scars lined up with the bullet holes. It was as if the wounds had spent months healing. Wincing, Fallon stopped probing for the source of the blood. Warmth first, questions second, he thought. Spotting the small pile of branches and logs next to the ashes. Fallon quietly climbed to his feet.

Fallon quickly built the campfire back up. The chill slowly left his body as he looked around at his companions. A huge Hell's Angles looking old man seemed the most menacing. Long salt and pepper hair, full beard, huge bulging arms, and a barrel chest the source of the snoring. Even his snores sounds like a Harley, he thought. The man was dressed in a dirty pair of leather overhauls. Snuggled to each side slept a woman - a blond and a redhead. The blond woman wore a green wool dress. It was a full length homemade tree-hugger looking thing. The redhead was dressed in similar clothing. The only difference seemed to be the hand stitched embroidery.

On the far side of the fire slept a gorgeous young woman about Fallon's age. She had jet black hair; her red roots just starting to show. A worn black leather jacket, zippers galore, covered her like a blanket. She was wearing knee high, stiletto healed patent leather boots, black and read paisley printed - skin tight - latex pants... Drop dead gorgeous. A tantalizing hint of see through chain mail shirt covered her exposed shoulder. The young woman was cradling a girl in front of her.

"What the..." he said. It was the toddler from his dream. It couldn't be.

"I see your up and about. You gave us a bit of a scare last night." The old man said. His stead gaze meeting Fallon's. Carefully extracting himself from the women's arms, the old man slowly sat up facing Fallon.

Reviews

[Jenny Nelson]

Hey! Where's the next chapter? I was just really getting into this. You've got several things going on at once, but they're easy enough to keep track of, so it really makes for a more indepth, interesting story. You certainly had my undivided attention. Good description in this. Great job with the story! Very imaginative. I hope you post more soon.

[Emily B]

well written, I enjoyed the story