Suddenly, the sunny midday sky clouded over. Lightning streaked across the sky.   A terrible thunder rumbled, shaking the very ground on which they stood. 

• Continued from Chapter 2

Four Hours Earlier

“Hurry, get inside,” Dr. Chase was beyond serious now.

“But that’s the bad place,” Isabella didn’t know how to explain to this powerful woman. She, a lowly teenager, knew something. Something devastating was about to happen. And this building was not going to survive whatever was coming. 

“Girls. I don’t have time for details. But I need you to trust me.” The Congresswoman was shouting over crescendoing sirens, thunder, screams, crashing cars and the full raging symphony of terror spreading across the nation’s capital. 

“I know who you are and the games you play.” 

Evelyn, Isabella and Sarafina didn’t know if they should be afraid or relieved someone knew more about them.

“I knew your parents. Your real parents. They sacrificed everything to protect you. I sacrificed everything to get you here. Today. Right now.”

Somehow they should be confused by all this. But they were holding hands. They were experiencing this moment as one. And when they did, they just – knew.

“The time for games is over. Your whole lives, and all your past lives, and everyone in your lives has prepared you for this moment. You are our only hope.”

Just then a great beam of light shone from above. It’s intensity was blinding, burning. 

“Inside. INSIDE!” Dr. Chase pushed the girls in, and as the door slammed shut, her staffer was screaming in agony outside, ablaze for just a moment before turning to ash and disintegrating, blown away like dust.

“Now. Do your thing. Work you magic.”

“Magic?” Evelyn whispered. They had never called their gifts, “magic.” They  had never named them at all. They just did things. 

“Isabella?” Sarafina turned to the one that always had the answers. 

“Come here. Both of you, grab my hands and don’t let go. I don’t think we have time to think and discuss. Whatever this is, this is happening. We knew it was coming, even if not exactly what it was.”

Evelyn, Isabella and Sarafina were now in a circle, chanting, in unison, in some language foreign to Dr. Chase. Foreign to anyone alive today. Foreign even to Evelyn, Isabella and Sarafina, but somehow they just knew what to say. Together they always just knew. 

Dr. Chase thought she knew everything. But what happened next surpassed all the legends, all the research, and way past all theories. She knew Latin and the society studied scrolls in Aramaic, Sanskrit, Pazeh and more. Was this language even of the earth of anytime?

A glow started to emanate from each of their chests. The growing orbs expanded until they joined and grew as one, passing their triumvirate, expanding in many meters beyond, then beyond the walls, floors and ceiling of the inner chamber.

Dr. Chase marveled at the sight. She thought she knew their power, their potential. This was beyond all imaginings. Outside the invasion – wait that’s not quite right – the outright extermination of humanity was under way. 

This had all happened before. Nearly every ancient civilization on earth recounted past exterminations that wiped the planet clean of most technology and knowledge. We know these as creation myths, floods, monsters from the deep, gods at war in the sky… ancient memories passed down as mystical tales around the world. 

But this time they were ready. Dr. Margaret Chase came from the society of those that kept the knowledge alive. They had been preparing for this for centuries, manipulating governments from the shadows, and keeping the few important powerful trinities around the world safe. 

In the past genocides, the saviors were scattered among the people. Enough of them survived for humanity to continue but they started from scratch every time. Fear and ignorance turned science into myth. By pure happenstance, just enough scientific minds survived the last purge.

This time will be different. This time, the society prepared for hundreds of generations, bringing the life rafts to the vaults of knowledge. Hidden beneath the library of congress were weapons and tools to rebuild. This time leaders of their society will be on the life rafts. 

Evelyn, Isabella and Sarafina were just one of many such trios. Not all survived to this day. These three almost died with their parents.

Billions were going to die no matter what. We just don’t have what it takes to ward off the attacks. The girls are our arc, our life raft. Thousands will be lost that could have been saved. But just enough will survive, this time, the right ones will survive.

In that moment a burst emanated from the girls. It knocked over Dr. Chase. Cracks ran through the walls. A sonic boom was heard above and continued in the distance. Explosions and screams were followed by earthly tremors. Something massive hit the ground just outside. Multiple crashes could be heard, one by one. Bright blazing light erupted in a glow outside, seeping through the cracks.

But as the girls fell to their knees, exhausted, the entire world went quiet and dark.

• To be continued… Chapter 4: Three Hours Earlier