Euphoria Chapter One

The same storm has been raging on for three days now. School was canceled for the last two including today. Layla Grand sat in her room, reading her Harry Potter books. She could quote the books by now she had read them so many times. She set down her book, unable to concentrate and looked out the window, yet again, hypnotized by the perfect drops of rain falling from the endless sheet of clouds. The storm resided primarily over the small town of Round Rock, Texas but sometimes branched out over Austin, Georgetown, Cedar Park and Pflugerville. Layla leapt up from the queen sized bed in the middle of her room, almost crashing into her table on her left. She ran down the stairs and took a right to head straight outside.

               “I’m going to the library.” She yelled to her mother. As if she cared in the slightest.

The rain poured over Layla’s head as soon as she stepped out the door. She smiled and tilted her face upward; loving the cold and wet that came with rain. She looked over at her car. The fading blue of the 1980-something Ford was barely recognizable through the heavy rain that rushed downwards in the two feet between Layla and her car. She started walking the old road that lead to the town’s library. The Lightning was spectacular. Lighting up the sky like the most erratic, yet beautiful fireworks she had ever seen. Then it started to strike.

               First it struck two streets over. It sounded like a freight train. Then lightning crashed on the next street over, sounding like an aircraft carrier exploding. Layla started running. Her feet ate the black sheets of road as quickly as they could. She was breathing heavily and couldn’t concentrate on which direction she was going. Then it struck. It sounded as if a freight train was crashing into an exploding aircraft carrier. It was the brightest, loudest, most brilliant moment she had ever experienced. The power of the strike knocked her off of her feet and jerked her round, this way and that.

               Her ears rung like there were alarms going off in her skull. Over the ringing she thought she heard something.

Layla.

She gasped and held her head where she had bumped it when she fell back. Someone else was caught in this storm. She tried to struggle to a standing position but found it impossible. So she lay there; breathing, her favorite sweater sopping wet; feeling helpless. A sob escaped from her throat. This is how she would die. Not some great, memorable, life-saving death that inspires millions. No, just a girl caught in a storm.

               “Who’s there?” She cried. If someone else was here at least she could try to help them.

               Layla. The wind whispered. She could only look around, still throbbing from the impact of the strike. No one was in sight. Suddenly she felt something. She tried to maneuver her head around to see what it was but couldn’t quite catch a glimpse at it. It- they, there were multiple- were as soft as anything she had ever felt, even drenched in rain. She tried to pull them to her face but they seemed to be attached to something solid; something hard as bone. She tugged harder and heard a groan. She stopped and looked to her right. How could she have missed him? He was almost shining. A boy that looked to be about her age lie at her feet.

               “Are you okay? Did you get hit!?” She yelled over the pounding thunder and screeching of the wind. No response. No movement.

       Layla managed to drag herself to her feet with much effort. She decided that going back home would be impossible so she dragged Mr. unconscious to the nearest porch to wait out the storm.