9 Days Before

The orphanage teamed with activity on this particular evening. Korith tended to the vegetable garden in the backyard, while Krissy, unaffected by strange dreams, energetically ran a lemonade stand to raise funds for their upcoming trip.

Exciting events filled the day, and it felt wonderful, little do they know it'll come to an end.

Octavia watched everything unfold, leaning on her practice sword, spying an approaching storm with silent lightning tumbling within, illuminating its interior with a quiet disorder, it's countenance leaving a tingling numbingness inside her mind.

"Planning to be a guard or something?" A voice broke the silence.

“Oh, Korith! I assume you’re finished with the garden?” Octavia turned around with a smile, leaving the approaching storm a figment in her mind.

"Yeah, grew a few 'toms,'" Korith replied casually, referring to tomatoes.

"Some 'toms,' huh?" Octavia playfully emphasized the word, grinning.

"Yup, gotta love them tomatoes," Korith responded, tossing a handful of freshly picked tomatoes.

Octavia caught one, examining it with a squint. "Got any salt?"

"Yes, because I always carry salt in my pockets," Korith retorted. Octavia gave her a puzzled look.

"Well, do you?" Korith tossed a makeshift salt shaker to Octavia.

"Not a word..." She gave her a teasing look and pointed playfully. Octavia grinned and shook her head with a scuffled laugh.

The moment was shattered by a sudden, violent lightning strike hitting Korith, throwing Octavia off her feet.

Her sword flew into the air; spinning before it plummeted to the ground.

Korith lay flat on the ground, her hair static and tangled. Others rushed to her aid.

"What happened?!" the house mother exclaimed.

“Korith!, what about Korith?!” Octavia shouted, peeking her head over the mothers arm while fighting off the daze. The other kids rushed to Korith’s side, and some to hers.

“We don’t have time for your panic. She’ll be fine.” the mother figure reassured her in an assertive tone.

Octavia felt perplexed as to why she wasn’t allowed near her. There was no seeable danger, so why this reaction?

“Let’s get you inside,” the mother guided Octavia by the arm with a firm grip.

An older sibling came out to help, giving the mother a hand, Octavia’s vision was cut off by the caretaker from seeing Korith as they were led into the living room.

"I realize I acted strangely. These situations can be frightening, but everything will be alright." she spoke soothingly, taking Octavia's hand and placing it on her lap.

"Korith is prone to these occurrences."

"Occurrences like being struck by lightning?!" Octavia retorted.

Outside worsened as the orphanage settled down with heaviness in their hearts about the incident . Octavia still found that lightning strike peculiar.

Something about today felt odd, although things were going better, there was just an underlining aura slightly plucking at her.

The rain increased while everyone gathered together, either by the fire or with Sue and the older sibling taking care of Korith.

Sue made it clear she wasn’t allowed to be with Korith in her state.

However, an urge tugged at her to sneak a peek and ensure her friend was alright. She just needed reassurance beyond the words she heard being exchanged.

As the storm raged with rolling lightning, Octavia's stomach grumbled.

All she’d had was the tomato Korith gave her earlier, she got up from her bed, leaving her annoyance at the situation a stain on her comforter, deciding to indulge her stomach’s request..

She quietly slipped downstairs to grab a bite to eat that would tide her over.

By the time she reached downstairs everyone was in their own rooms, settling in for tomorrow’s journey.

Upon opening the fridge its light softly blinked, ignoring it, she grabbed seasoned carrots, savoring the crunch as her teeth sank into them.

After closing the fridge door with a soft kick, her thoughts turned to Korith and the others downstairs.

The orphanage had a small 'clinical' room where the mother and older sibling treated the sick, and the injured. Octavia herself had been there a few times, although she never liked it; it gave her the same unsettling vibe as the storm outside.

Creeping downstairs, she waited at the end of the hallway, listening for any conversations before discreetly peeking through the clinic door's keyhole.

She heard a knock at the front door, causing the residence on the other side to talk amongst themselves.

Footsteps echoed from the other side of the clinic door, causing Octavia to scramble up the stairs quickly.

The knocking persisted at the door, and Mother Sue emerged from the clinic, Octavia leaned against the kitchen walls, pretending not to notice.

The kitchen lights hummed with a cryptographic scintillation, trying to capture their attention.

“Who could be knocking during this terrible storm? I hope it’s nothing serious,” Sue muttered to herself.

“One moment!!” She called to the knocker, but the knocking continued.

The lights determined to gather their observation, dilating its blink.

Octavia shared her curiosity, but her mind was also with Korith. The door slammed open before Sue could get to it.

“Oh!” She gasped, stepping back, cupping her mouth. Octavia also reacted, putting herself on guard, moving herself into the living space.

The lights’ cryptography stuttered, almost in a sense of being controlled by something else, changing into convulsing lights.

The knocking continued on the open door..

"What's happening?!" the house mother exclaimed. From within the rain-soaked darkness outside, a flash of lightning illuminated a tall figure then vanished with another flash.

"You need to leave!" the mother shouted, prompting Octavia to move closer to her for protection.

Thunder roared as both the front and clinic doors slammed shut. The mother cried out, clutching her stomach and rib cage with a sudden pain possessing it.

She reached out her hand to Octavia, her hand trembling, with concern, she grabbed it, stumbling over her words in panic.

“Wha...” Octavia grew frustrated as she couldn’t form coherent words, realizing it’s gripped by fear.

Subsequently, an intense sensation clinched her stomach, causing it to climb up her ribcage as if it were chained electricity.

Her bones rattled from an unknown force.

Octavia let out a mix of anger and fear. Everything went dark as the lights electrical current cut.

Krissy’s screams of terror paired with the others echoed from upstairs, joining the altered orchestra was Korith’s agonized screams from the clinic.

Octavia’s fear swirled wondering whom she should comfort first.

She chose Krissy, dashing upstairs and colliding with the wall due to her urgency, hearing the outcries of the others in their room. Krissy’s scream waned, distorted as if choking.

Octavia burst into her room with a powerful kick, causing the handle to give way.

"Krissy?!" Octavia yelled over the continued screams from downstairs. She turned to Krissy, who had fallen silent. Pitch black surrounded them, and Krissy's voice spoke up again, faintly rattling.

"Please... Octavia... Korith needs your help..."

"I would've been okay... I saw it... this happened before, yet... I was still afraid," Krissy's voice continued. Octavia was baffled by what Krissy was saying.

"Did you have another dream...?" Octavia asked, the lights suddenly flickering back on. Krissy was standing beside her bed, her face bore an expression of sorrow as she looked down.

"I didn't want to ruin today. I thought if I didn't say anything, everything would be fine," her voice trembled.

“but it did anyway...” Her throat was sore from her howls.

"Octavia is gone..." Krissy's voice spoke again between pauses.

"What do you mean, gone? I'm right here, Krissy," Octavia replied with a mixture of gentleness and firmness.

"No... I mean Octavia, who was also going to have a warm home... it was supposed to be the same day as mine... I didn't want to spoil the surprise, but now all of that is gone.

You’ll become someone much more,” Krissy faintly says before collapsing to the floor.

Octavia rushes to her side, preventing her head from hitting the floor. Krissy’s eyes fluttered as her body started to tremble.

“What’s happening today...” Octavia mutters to herself while assisting Krissy.

"Sue!?" Octavia calls out, desperately seeking the house mother.

"Sean!?" She yells for the older sibling, her voice filled with concern. Sean, the mother's son, responds from upstairs.

“Everything’s okay down here, I got it!” he yells back to Octavia while the others had gathered downstairs to seek his comfort, confirming her initial assumption.

It would have been helpful for her to know that earlier, considering the events unfolding tonight.

Octavia calls out again, informing Sean that she's with Krissy and that she won't wake up after the mini seizure.

The mother, now calmer, and her son rush upstairs.

Despite the strain on her face and the makeup running down, the mother is determined to offer a helping hand, and the storm has passed.

In the end, the police arrive, and the ambulance takes Krissy to the hospital for care. They mention that she might be in a coma-like state due to her inability to wake up.

As for Korith, she appears to be physically unharmed, but there's a remote change in her demeanor.

She's quieter and withdrawn. Octavia doesn't blame her - after all, a lightning bolt did strike her.

Surprisingly, she’s even able to interact with the authority figures let alone stand.

"I'll keep a close eye on her," Octavia vows silently, her gaze fixed on Korith as she takes note of her behavior, health, and how she was "unharmed." Octavia also hopes that Krissy will recover soon and that this incident won't impact her chances of joining a new family.

"Look, man, I don't know what you want. I gave you some good stuff earlier, and I can't provide more," a man argues with a boy who appears to be in his mid-teens, around Octavia and Korith's age.

"Wait, wait, wait. Okay... I'm sorry if I came across strong... Is there any way to get...more?" The boy's tone shifts, sounding less confrontational.

"Seriously, they're doing this when the police are right there?" Octavia gestures toward the commotion, clearly irritated. The boy catches a glimpse of her gesture.

Their eyes meet, and a sense of mutual understanding passes between them. The boy averts his gaze, feeling embarrassed. He pulls up his hood and walks away discreetly, just in time to avoid attracting a form of police attention.

"What was that all about...people can be so foolish," Octavia sighs, leaning her head against her palms.

A sudden sharp pain shoots through her left eye. She does an annoyed grunt, then rubs it.

" must have strained it amidst all the chaos today"

Within the meeting between the Guardsmen and the housemother, the group of guards listened intently, nodding and taking notes.

One splits off from the group, bringing his communication device up towards his mouth, he talks discreetly into the gadget, peering back at the anxious caretaker, seeing Sue rub her wrist. Her eyebrows pulled up together, mirroring her eyelids; conveying concern.

The drifted Guardsmen pulls himself back into the group.

"We have everything we need here mam. Thank you for your time. " the police figure pans his vision aside from Sue - staring at the orphanage behind her, then gazes back at the caretaker and does a faint nod.

Sue strolls to Octavia, who's peeking closely towards Korith talking to someone in a baseball hat.

"Let's go inside. "her concern clinches her chords. Octavia gives Sue a glance of recognition, confirming the action to head back inside.

Octavia leaps off the small wall she was poached on. The faint pool of water splashes as it meets the force.

“Who’s Korith talking to?” Her eyebrows pressing down, seeing the man taking details on a notepad, another guard?, She ponders. However this figure isn’t draped the same way as the retreating authority figures are.

This man has more of a casual appearance towards him, and an unkempt beard.

Before the question arises much further, Korith dips back into the orphanage. Her posture seems afflicted towards the exchange.

Sue and Octavia peer back towards the fleeting figure getting into an older version of a vehicle. Hearing the car purr before it takes off down the road.

Fighting off puzzlement, the two adventure back into their homestead, trying to look past today's harsh events.