The Ripple Effect (12/?)
by: Ina-chan

	She opened her eyes and was greeted by the starless evening sky. 
	"What happened?" Rachel asked out loud absently. She sat up and ran her hands
through her hair, "Did I slip or something, Alena?"
	Aside from the muffled sound of occasional traffic, her question was only
greeted by the silence of the night. Only then, the unfamiliarity of her
surroundings finally registered in her mind, "What in the--" She was in some
kind of blind alley.
	 'How the heck did I get here?' She stood up and brushed her clothes before
instinctively wrapping her wind breaker tightly around her. With slow
measured steps, she timidly peered out to the street... and was met by an
unfamiliar landscape.
	"What in the world..." She whispered numbly as she gaped at her
surroundings. It
was still evening, but supposedly dark streets were lit by unfamiliar busy
shop and business lights... several people passed by hurriedly, while
several others gave her a curious glance... as if she was some creature from
another planet. 
	She couldn't understand it. The last thing she remembered was feeling
frustrated
after being deprived of her shower when she went out with Alena... ALENA!
Something
strange was going on with her before... Her head cleared immediately... Her
previous
anxiety replaced with an even more pressing one... she started to run... 
	The sky roared, and unleashed a sudden flood of rain. 
	"Ask and you shall receive," Rachel closed her eyes with a defeated sigh as the
warm bullets of liquid started to pelt her, and send the people around her
to scramble for cover. She just hoped that her other wish to find her
missing best friend would be fulfilled too...  She intuitively hugged
herself into an even tighter cocoon, as she wandered through them, until she
bumped into the street corner news box. She glanced at the day's headlines
and frowned...
  	"Allied Forces retake Kafji, Saudi Arabia from invading Iraqui troops..." She
whispered puzzledly, "Iraq?"
	She was bending down to get a closer look at the date,  when a hand clamped on
her shoulder tightly. She froze as a soft whisper reached her ears.
	"You shouldn't be standing in the rain. You'll get sick." 

***
	"It's not working," Jonny said in disappointment 
	"I think it will be better if we take a few minutes to..." Charles Wallace
began
	"You said anyone can do this."
	Charles Wallace closed his eyes as if it would help keep his own
frustration at bay, "You're trying too hard. In return you're blocking
yourself out. We'll take some time to calm down and get a little breather..."
	"We don't have time to do that!"
	Charles Wallace opened his eyes and glared at the blonde boy, "Jonny shut
up and
listen for a minute!"
	The other occupants of the room stared at the mysterious boy's uncharacteristic
outburst. Then again, considering what they were up against, even the
patience of Buddha
will be tested.
	Jonny simply crossed his arms and leaned back on his seat sulkily.
	"Well... at least he's back to normal," Jessie whispered to no one in
particular
	Meg sighed and seated herself between the silently warring parties, "Okay
the two of you... take slow deep breaths and let's start over."
	"You don't seem to fully understand how powerful the Ecthroi really is,"
Charles
began more calmly, "The Ecthroi will use anything within its reach to turn
the odds against you. Your faults, your memories, your weaknesses, your
resentments, and even to the point of using the very people you care about
against you."
	Jessie bowed her head while Hadji put a comforting arm around her shoulders. He
looked at the pensive Charles Wallace, "You talk as if you have first hand
experience
about this."
	The brother and sister exchanged uncomfortable looks before speaking.
	"During that time... before..." Meg began uncertainly, "The Ecthroi managed to
'take' Charles Wallace."
	Charles Wallace cleared his throat, "It used my arrogance and my overconfidence
in my abilities... and I almost ended up killing Meg, Calvin... and my father."
	"Back there..." Jessie began quietly, without lifting her head to meet
Jonny's eyes, "Before you came... I thought I heard you... Your voice I
mean... I hope that helps."
	"The Ecthroi will use everything in their disposal to deceive you," Charles
said
with a nod. Then turned to the blonde youth with an intense gaze, "This is
what you are
going to be up against, Jonny. And at some point in this battle, you will be
forced to make a decision,"  His voice dropping to an almost inaudible
whisper that only the other boy could hear, "You will have to make a
sacrifice, Jonny."
	"What kind of sacrifice?" Jonny whispered in the same manner
	Charles Wallace lowered his eyes, "I don't know. That's something you'll
have to
figure out on your own."
	Jonny clenched his fists, "Then we'll have to find a way to destroy the
Ecthroi."
	"You can't," Meg replied automatically
	The three teens from the future gaped at her in surprise.
	"You can't destroy something that isn't there," Meg continued before a frown
etched across her forehead, "I'm not sure how to explain it... But when I as
trying to get Charles back... finding a way to destroy IT was the first
thing I tried to figure out to do... but it didn't work at all... I really
don't know how to explain it..."
	"It's because the Ecthroi is empty," Charles clarified
	"Of course," Jonny drawled sarcastically, "That makes the situation absolutely
crystal clear..."
	"Meg," Hadji intervened, "How did you stop the Ecthroi back then?"
	Meg frowned, "I guess... the same way you fix an empty glass..."
	"That makes a lot of sense... in an abstract sort of way," Jonny mumbled
	"With a brother like that... and hanging around Hadji for a couple of
hours... what do you expect?" Jessie reasoned 
	"We might as well continue," Meg sighed, glaring at Jonny and her brother
before
standing up to move out of their way, "And chill, you two."
	"Okay... lets take a different approach," Charles Wallace began as his voice
dropped into a soothing whisper, "Close your eyes... and try to clear your
mind of
everything else..."
	Jonny obeyed and tried to recall the meditation techniques Hadji had taught
him to clear his thoughts.
	"Tell me the first thing you that comes into your mind when you think about
your
mother?"
	"Finger paints..."
	"Tell me about the finger paints."
	"Sometimes... after my schoolwork... when Dad is out on a trip... she let
me stay with her in the lab... and  we  painted pictures."	
	"How did hanging out with your mom made you feel?"
	"Happy. She would make everything seem bright and sunny even if its raining
outs..." His voice trailed as Jonny suddenly clutched his arms around
himself and made
involuntary shudders
	Jessie and Hadji instinctively made a step toward their best friend, only to be
stopped by Meg motioning them to stand back.
	"Jonny," Charles asked gently, despite the look of concern engraved on his
face,
"What is it?"
	"Its raining..."
	"Does the rain scare you?"
	Jonny shook his head, "She won't tell me why..."
	"She won't tell you what?"
	"... the rain. It was raining a lot... She was holding my hand so tight, it
hurt... She was walking very fast. Sometimes I had to run to keep up with
her... she won't tell me why... The rain... it was really wet... my rain
coat got undone... it was getting cold..."
	Charles looked up to meet his sister's inquiring gaze, but all he could
muster was a helpless look. Jonny opened his eyes, an unexplained terror
from his past reflecting in its calm blue, "That's not what  happened."
	"What was it?" Charles asked calmly
	"I... I... don't know," Jonny replied weakly, "Its very strange... but it
feels like its... but I remember..." He shook his head and looked at his
friends insistently, "That's not what happened... I KNOW that's not what
happened!"
	Hadji walked beside his best friend and bent down to his eye level, "Jonny.
We do not understand what you are saying. What did you remember?"
	Jonny gripped Hadji's arm tightly, and met his friend's eyes with an
expression of pure child-like terror. Hadji winced instinctively as his best
friend's fingernails dug into his flesh.
	"That night. The night she died."
	The revelation and significance of  his words hung in the air in shocked
silence. None of them noticed the opening of the Physics lab door... or the
arrival of the newcomer... until he made his presence clear.
	"So... my hunch is right. MARGARET! What the hell are you still doing here?"
Benton cried out exasperatedly, "Its getting late, and you know there are
weirdos running around at this hour!"
	Meg and her companions simply stared back at the young man numbly. It was only
then, that Benton Quest presence of the other occupants managed to imprint
itself in his
brain through his worried haze, "What are these children doing here?" His
eyes registering their faces as it moved from one to the other...
	Charles Wallace sighed as he stood up and braced himself  against the more
solid
lab table...
	... as the past met the eyes of its future...
	... and a pebble fell, creating a series of ripples...
	... destroying the peaceful serenity of the waters...
	
(To be continued)

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