When Lightning Strikes [COMPLETED]

Chapter 5: Moving Memories

Julie swayed back and forth. Her head felt light, like something was missing. She was having trouble waking up. The dizziness nauseated her.

“Julie Marin?”

“Yes.” It took effort to put the words together. A white light kept flashing in her head, and she realized that it was coming through her closed eyelids.

She opened her eyes. She was in the middle of a dark alley. A police officer was squatting over her. Behind her, blue and white lights flashed from his car.

“Are you Julie Marin?” the man asked again.

She opened her eyes to see who was talking. It was a young man with a crisp haircut in a neatly pleated uniform.

“Yes.” Her words came out in a rasp. “Where am I?”

Had it happened again?

She sat up abruptly, swaying back and forth. She was so tired.

The officer leaned down to put a hand on her arm to steady her. The swaying stopped. She gulped back the bile that rose to her throat, and her heart beat erratically. She didn’t want to stay here. It was too much like the last time.

“I’m a police officer. My name is Brian. We have been looking for you. Please stay still until the paramedics can check you out just in case.”

The radio on his shoulder crackled.

“Hang on a sec.” The man pressed a button on the radio and leaned over to speak into it. “Captain, I found Julie Marin. Request an ambulance. We are behind the hotel in the service alley.”

“Copy, paramedics on the way.”

“I think I’m okay.” She tried to stand. “I want to find my brother and go home.”

“I understand, but it is procedure to have anyone checked out who was unconscious when we find them. Especially when we are responding to gunfire at a school event.” The police office tried to hold her down.

“What?” She tried to push his arm off of her. “Is my brother okay? How about my friends? How about Ethan? Would you let me stand up?”

“Everything is okay. Everything will be all right. Can you sit back down?”

“No.” She pulled her arm free and stumbled to her feet. Her torn dress caught under one of her shoes and ripped a little more. She wobbled, flailing her hands.

The police officer caught her as the sheer violet material that layered the top of her skirt tore free and drifted the ground. “I wish you would sit back down, miss.”

“Look, I was just attacked by a man in an alley.” Her stomach churned. “I don’t want to stay here.”

“Do you remember what happened then? Do you remember what the man looked like?” He tightened his grip as he looked around the alleyway, eyes wary.

“Dead.” She said hoarsely. Her voice rose higher as she spoke, and her heart raced. “The man is dead. It happened about two weeks ago. I don’t know why I’m here now, but I want to leave.”

Understanding came over his eyes. “You’re that girl that had lightning strike the man attacking her aren’t you? Geez, you have had some bad luck lately.”

He patted her arm to calm her and kept a firm hold of her with his other arm. “It will be okay. No one is going to hurt you. A suspect has been arrested and is in custody. You’re okay. You’re safe. Let’s move to the end down here. Will that make you calmer? All you will need to do is give a statement to a detective. Then you should be able to go home.”

“I honestly don’t remember anything except leaving to go to the bathroom. I don’t know how I got out here. I hit my head or something.”

She touched the side of her head away from him where it felt wet in the slight breeze. Her fingertips came away wet and looked darkened in the dim light. The flashing lights showed her fingertips to be bright red.

That had to be why she felt so tired.

The officer frowned as he also looked at her fingertips. She leaned over and vomited.  It splattered all over his boots.

“Oh shit.” He tried to hold onto her and dance out of the way.

An ambulance sounded a couple beats of its siren. The officer waved them over quickly. The paramedics came up the alley, checked her over, and walked her back to the ambulance.