Gravity ~~~Book Two | Red

Chapter One - The Song

Ten years after the Umbriks notice a strange firework spelling 'Blix', Chris and Stacy are living happily in Novix City with their daughter Katie. Chris is barely home during the day, which results in his six-year-old daughter only seeing him at night. Little does she know, he is working on a new project.

"Stacy?" I called out when I opened the door. She walked through the archway connecting our mud room to the living room, and gave me a hug.
"Kate's already in bed. She wanted me to send you in when you got home if she was still awake."
"What did you tell her?"
"That you would be right up."
I smiled and went upstairs, slowly pushing the door to Katie's room open.
"Daddy!" She smiled at me and I walked over, sitting on her bed.
"Hey, sweetpea. How was school?"
"It was good, daddy. I got candy for being good."
"That's cool!"
"Daddy, will you sing me that song you've been writing?"
"Sure, honey. Just let me get my guitar."
I walked out of the room and down the stairs into my recording studio, grabbed my guitar, and went back up to her room.
"Alright, here goes...
I'm ready for my labyrinth, master,
All of those poor bastards,
They have no idea, no chance,
As they do their forced little dance,

I'm ready for the execution, the death
As I take my final breath
And I prepare for the final stretch, No
Preparation!"

She giggled. "Sing me my song now!"
"Ready?"
She nodded.
"You're like my younger self,
all cooped up inside, desperate to get out in the world,
as the galaxy says good-bye.
You feel compelled to challenge Earth, to fight the forces that be,
but then you'd have to leave your loving mother and me."
She laughed and sprung up to hug me, and I set my guitar on her bed.
"Daddy, what's a bastard?"
"What?"
"Your song said the word bastard. What is it?"
"Well, you know Mr. Blix?"
"From your story?"
"Yes. He's a bastard."
"I don't like Mr. Blix."
"Neither do I, Kate, neither do I. But, I have good news! After school tomorrow, we're going out to Frai City to visit Aunt Emilie!"
"Yay! I like Aunt Emilie."
"So do I, Kate. Well, time for bed!"
"Nooo!"
"Night, Sweetpea."
I turned out her light and went downstairs to find Stacy sitting on the couch, flipping though channels on the TV.
"Chris, did Kate ask you to play her a song?"
"Yup."
"The lengths you go to for this family..."
I sat down next to her, and she curled up with her head on my shoulder.
"Chris, I love you."
"Love you too, Stace."
We fell asleep watching Space War Infinity for the fifth time in a year.

A burnt and battered man landed in front of a decaying house. He went inside and jumped into the house's basement.
There were many things in the basement, but standing out among them, was a smashed TV screen. The man raised his arm, and started chanting.
"Heaznohempt, Heaznohempt, Heaznohempt, Heaznohempt,
Heaznohempt, HEAZNOHEMPT!"
The fractured pieces of the computer started to reassemble themselves.
They formed an image.
"Username Vincent Blix, Access Code XILB TNECNIV. Hexdal Code HIGNMTDI."
The computer changed shape, becoming a doorway.
"Heh. Can't believe these still work."
The man took off his white, bloodstained helmet to reveal the face of a doctor the Umbriks know all too well.
"Hello, world. Blix is back."

Exactly 700 words!