Of Thorns and Lightning Read online

  William waited a moment. He knew she had much more to say and now was not the time to interrupt.

  "I don't know why it won't work. I filled it with gas three days ago so it can't be out already. My fuel gage isn't broken, that I would know. I don't know what to look for, I don't know what the problem is, I don't know what caused it and I don't know how to fix it because whatever I do, it won't work! It just won't start, William! God damn it, why won't it start?! I'm trying to do everything right and to get it going, but it won't! It's not my fault because I take care of it, but I was the one driving it when it stopped working, so it has to be somehow my fault! It wasn't anyone else, it was me!" She exclaimed.

  "Why won't it start?!" She yelled, slamming her hand down heavily on the hood, continuing to cry.

  William knew that she wasn't talking about the car at all. Still, he turned her shoulders, so they were face to face, eye to eye. He wiped her hair away from her face and the tears from her eyes and he clasped her wet face with both hands. The umbrella was deemed useless with the kind of rain they were having, and it was set aside. He did his best to convey his message to her that followed the theme of cars. He chose his words carefully and as best as he could through his exhausted mind, but something he said seemed to work.

  "Maize. Listen to me. You may have made some driving mistakes in your life. Ran a red light once or got into an accident. Maybe knocked a mirror off or slammed the doors too hard. But otherwise, you've taken care of your car the whole time you've had it, and that's not to be overlooked. This car is 24 years old, Maize. That's older than my daughter, and older than me when I had my daughter. Over time, things get worn out and break apart, no matter how well we take care of them. It happens. Things change and we have to let things go sometimes. Your car has reached the end of the road and it's not your fault." He explained as calmly as possible and then pulled her into a tight embrace. Her shaking body didn't ease much against William's chest, but he was radiating heat while she was shivering. He ran a hand down her wet head of hair and rubbed her back in an attempt to soothe her.

  "I'm going to call you a tow. Someone who can get here fast and then I'm taking you home." He spoke softly.

  He called AAA, taking advantage of the advertised 24-hour roadside assistance, and hoped for the best. He thought now would be a better time to get some more information from her.

  "Maize, at this party did you take anything? Have you been drinking anything? I just need to know you're okay."

  "No, I didn't take anything. I had one shitty beer hours and hours ago, before things started going bad. I can't speak for anyone else, though."

  "What happened? What do you mean by things went bad?"

  Maize flashed back to earlier that evening, and it was dangerously fresh in her mind. She bit her lip, still feeling so much pain and hurt over it.

  "Maize I know this is tough but please tell me something so I can try and help you, and possibly the rest of them. I don't want any of my Gods getting themselves into trouble or hurt."

  "I thought... I just thought we were all having a good time but first, all the girls and Jordie met someone in line and they all said they didn't know me so they could get in with a stranger, leaving me outside. Then, when I finally got in I was angry but later things got worse. I don't even know what happened, but Talia said that they didn't like me because they thought I was serious and weird and uptight, and she said I wasn't like them and that I'll never be like them and to just leave because none of them wanted me with them. They don't want to see me in training because every time they look disgusted with me. Angelina does it the most because of the accident. And the worst part is that the people I thought were my friends didn't say a god damn thing to defend me." She cried. All William could do was nod in solitude and understanding and try and figure out a way to fix it. He didn't want to do everything for her, but she needed someone to stand up for her like her friends didn't.

  "Maize, I know that my daughter hasn't been treating you well, and I see how much it hurts you. You wear your heart on your sleeve, and it's bleeding right now. I've talked to her and yelled at her when I needed to and I'm trying everything in my power to simultaneously be a good dad to Talia as well as be a good leader to all of you. I don't want to see you hurt, and I know she's the one that's inflicting the pain on you. I'm going to swallow my pride and admit to you that right now, I don't know what to do. I don't know how to fix it, but dammit, I'm going to keep trying. I won't stop trying to make things right. I owe you that much." He spoke, being completely honest with Maize.

  "And I know you don't believe it, and you might not be able to see it, but me and Thor can see that you're becoming more and more of a god every day. I know you think you're not changing, and you're not meeting the standards of the person you think we want you to be, but you are. You're making progress every day. Maize, you're doing just fine, and we're all proud of you. I know the group is tough right now, but you have to keep on going because it's worth it. It's going to work out. You're going to make a real difference in this world, and that's worth so much more than this drama bullshit. I believe in you, Maize. Come on, let's get you warm and dry." William admitted, he too wearing his heart on his sleeve.

  Maize grabbed her things out of her car and William escorted her to his, opening the door for her. Maize sat in the passenger's seat of his Audi and she thought for sure that her wet hair and clothes were going to ruin the upholstery. William didn't seem to care at all. He was equally wet but wasn't complaining about the condition of the suede or the leather. He had bigger things to worry about. Off in the distance, they saw the lights of the tow truck come down the highway, which took a weight off of both their shoulders. The faster they could get her car towed, the faster they could get back to the compound to settle in for the night, and the faster tomorrow would come to wipe the slate clean and start a new day for them.

  William was still standing out in the rain, waiting for the tow truck to situate itself to help them. In the meantime, he started his engine and put the heat on for her, making sure she didn't catch a cold from being chilled and soaked to the bone. His suit jacket was the only article of clothing among them that was dry. He had left it in the car when he got out to investigate the situation at the side of the road, and he draped it over Maize's torso like a blanket before closing the door to keep the heat in. When they were all ready to go, William got in the driver's seat and led the way for the tow truck on their way back to the compound. To break the silence, he flicked on the radio and the voice of the late-night radio host greeted them.

  "This one is for all your lonely people out there, if anyone is even listening right now. Stay dry tonight, this rain is here to stay," he spoke before the tune of the blues began to play. It somehow made the trip home a little easier. Maize closed her eyes and listened to the familiar song as the highway whooshed beside her. With the combination of the open road and the power of the engine, they were back at the compound in no time. William pulled up under the carport by the main doors and killed the engine. He walked with Maize into the building and he pressed the button for an up elevator. The whole drive there he had been running solutions through his mind until he had finally settled on one. They stepped onto the elevator, William pressing two different floor buttons.

  "Give me a second, okay Maize? I'm going to go talk to Thor. I think I have a solution." He spoke. She nodded. "Go get into some dry clothes and I'll be up to check on you."

  Maize went straight to her room, the cold air conditioning not helping her case. She was dripping wet footprints on the floor though she was limping slightly, accompanied by drips from her hair, dress and her six-inch platform heels she was carrying in her left hand. Her hand shaking, she swiped her keycard to get entry to her room and she threw her shoes down and peeled her wet dress off. Her arms were littered with goosebumps and her teeth were chattering behind blue lips. She took a warm shower to get her makeup off and clean up, then she pulled on her warmest sweatpants, socks and hoo
die with the drawstring tied so the hood stayed on her head. She climbed into bed and clutched her stuffed elephant, begging sleep to take her. Her eyes were puffy as a reminder of past tears, which forced her to keep her eyes closed. It had been another bad night for Maize.

  William arrived on Thor's floor. He knew that Thor would still be awake; he had no concept of mortal time and slept whenever he felt like it and had no circadian rhythm. William didn't bother knocking on Thor's open door. He was sitting in the quiet with reading glasses on, breezing through a novel under the dim light of the lamp perched on the table next to his armchair. Immediately Thor knew something had happened, and it wasn't good. William skipped the introductions and the small talk, he jumped right into the serious matter at hand.

  "Thor, I think it's time. She's ready, she's capable and she needs to get out of here for a little while." He spoke, Thor knowing exactly what he meant.

  "What, you don't think it's too soon? I don't want to throw her into something she'll get overwhelmed by." Thor explained but William was confident in his answer.

  "No. You've trained her and we both have an immense amount of trust in you. It's time. Take her to Asgard."

  A Quick Intergalactic Road Trip

  "She's ready. You have to take her to Asgard."

  ♦️

  It was a rainy Monday afternoon when William took Maize's Saab to his mechanic to run a diagnostic test on the fate of her car. The car was a rust bucket and probably a healthy dose of dangerous with an immediate need for replacement, but William was going to do his best to get her car back to her. He knew how much it meant to her. He knew that it was going to be more trouble than it was worth, but it would be worse for him not to try. It wasn't long before his mechanic walked out of the garage to the waiting room to meet him.

  "Give it to me straight, doc." William said, standing up from his chair and facing his mechanic who was wiping his greasy hands with a grayed rag.

  "It's terminal, Mr. Townsend. The outlook isn't good, you're going to have to pull the plug."

  "Is it really that bad?"

  "Yes, sir. The whole thing is gone. It all broke down at once. It would cost much more to try and fix it than it would to buy a new car. It had complete organ failure, if you will. It just... died."

  "So, what's the plan?"

  "Sell it for scrap."

  Taking it all in, William thought of his plan of action.

  "I'll be back soon. I'm going to bring her here to get everything out of it and say her goodbyes, then I can have it towed to a junkyard."

  William didn't want to break the news to her, especially if she too was ill and was just waking up. That was the last thing he wanted to do, and he didn't want to put one more bad thing on top of her shit sundae, but it's what he had to do. It had to happen eventually.

  He entered her room, Thor already watching over her. His timing was perfect, she was already stirring and beginning to come alive again.

  "Maize, Maize, are you waking up?" William asked in a soft, sing-song voice. After he had spoken to Thor he went to check on Maize like he had promised, but she was already out cold. He kept an eye on her, but she slept like a rock for almost an entire day. William was concerned that she had been sleeping for so long, and she was starting to sweat then shiver in her sleep. He sat in her desk chair and it reminded him of all the times Talia had been sick and he was there to take her temperature and bring her soup. It wasn't long before he realized that she was waking up and he rose from the chair over to her side. He watched her eyes open, and he knew she was awake. She was still processing William's presence and his voice rang in her head as if she were underwater. She felt like shit, but that was nothing new.

  "God, you're really burning up." He mentioned softly, placing the back of his hand on her forehead. It was a fever he had never felt before, so he took her temperature only to find that she had a 105-degree fever. That was something worth hospitalizing her over, but Thor didn't seem to think so. He too had been sitting in her room, keeping watch over her. He didn't want anything bad to happen to her before she could make it to Asgard.

  "She'll be fine. With her accelerated powers of healing, her cold should be over in about a day."

  "I'm afraid this is pneumonia, or it's going to turn into it fast." William said as he voiced his concerns.

  "William, let it run its course. We'll keep an eye on her and it'll be alright." Thor reassured. William was insistent that someone was close by to watch over her, and they took the responsibility in shifts.

  "Pneumonia?" She asked, her voice ragged.

  "No, I'm just worried. You just have a little cold, you're going to be fine. But, when you're feeling better, we have to go on a quick trip." He spoke, sitting on the side of her bed, facing her. Her pale and ashen face looked up at him from behind the pillows. He took a deep breath, breaking the news to her.

  "I took your car to the mechanic today, Maize. Everything failed all at once. It will cost more to fix than it's worth, and it's probably best to sell it for scrap. So, when you're ready, I'm going to take you down to the shop so you can get all your things. Okay?" He spoke gently.

  "Okay. We can go now, it's fine."

  "Are you sure? You're really sick."

  "Yes, let's just get it done and over with, okay?"

  "I think you should rest a little longer-"

  "William, we're going." She said, rolling over and letting her feet touch the floor. She stood up and slipped on her Ugg boots and curbed her nausea upon standing and walked out her bedroom door. She was insistent, and William knew there was no way of stopping her. He followed her out to the elevators where they went down to the garage. They got into his Audi and exited the garage, William driving carefully through the storm. It had been raining on and off since the night at the club, and it seemed as if it was never going to stop. William wondered if it was some kind of omen.

  They arrived at the garage and William held an umbrella over them as they transitioned from the parking lot to the inside of the building. He helped her stay stable before they were taken back to her Saab.

  "William, can I have a minute?" Maize asked. He obliged and backed off a touch, letting her get into her car by herself and revel in the last few moments she had with it.

  Maize grabbed a bag from the glove compartment and was moving the contents of her car into it. She took out all the pens, loose change, lotion and important documents as well as everything else in her car, remembering all the moments she had had in the car and all the places it took her. The car was a part of her life, and she took a few minutes to lay down in the compact backseat and feel the soft but worn cloth upholstery against her skin.

  She took her Swiss Army knife and cut a patch of it, just so she could have one piece to remember the vehicle by. But she also needed to lay down because she was incredibly sick and had exhausted herself by the light activity. Though, Maize knew when it was time to part, and she exited the car with her bag of belongings in her hand. She closed the door tenderly and placed a gentle kiss on the roof of the car, saying her final farewell. She turned to William, and William knew that it was time to go. Maize waited in his Audi while he closed up with the mechanic, and Maize had already begun to fall asleep. When the car began to move, it was like a baby being rocked to sleep in its mother's arms. Maize was out cold once again, and William had an idea.

  He pulled into the Gods garage and went over to the wall of keys. He was searching for the right one among the Ferrari and Audi keys, but his eyes landed on the right set. He took the ring off the hook and went back to Maize as quietly as he could, slipping her keyring out of the pocket of her hoodie. He clipped the new set on swiftly, knowing that the new car was certainly an upgrade, but it would never be the same car to her. He just hoped it would help, plus she deserved a replacement car. He shut the driver's side door and walked around the car, opening the door on her side and carefully picking her sleeping body from the bucket seat. He shut the door with his hip and locked the car, taki
ng her over to the elevators and bringing her back up to her room. He placed her right back where she was previously lying in bed, the sheets welcoming her. He placed the bag of belongings on her desk and made sure she was asleep and didn't need anything else. He hoped that things would get better for her soon.

  While it was Thor's turn to guard her, William headed up to his office and room to try and get some sleep. He ended up intercepting the rest of the crew as they were stumbling off the elevator. It was apparent that the elevator ride disoriented some of them; he watched Ariel spin around and grab the wall for support, trying to straighten herself out. Talia was quickly becoming immensely sleepy and her eyes sealed themselves closed, leaving her in the dark to find her room. Luckily, Angelina was clutching onto Talia and was almost acting as a seeing eye dog for her by the sheer coincidence that Angelina couldn't stand up right on her own. Jordie looked dazed with a thousand-yard stare in his eyes, but he also looked eerily calm. Meaghan was exhausted and Peter had a migraine to accompany his growing hangover. In a word, they were a mess.