Waiting by Erin Dennington ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 54 Marty didn't understand why these people were on edge. Besides Bill, the only person that he recognized was Davis Jackson, but he'd have to be a dummy to not recognize one of the most important men in America. He didn't know them, hadn't ever seen them before, and assumed that they didn't know each other, either. Nevertheless, they seemed comfortable around one another, in the way that only strangers united by tragedy can be. So far the video held zero interest for him, as it kept showing close-up images of an insect utterly unlike anything he'd ever seen before. After that first image, he'd zoned out when he realized that it was only a magnification. It was one of the ugliest, yet most aerodynamic looking insects he had ever seen. Beyond that, though, it held no fascination over him, so he took turns watching everyone around him. Although he had received no introductions to these people, he knew that the attractive woman sitting immediately to his right was the accident victim that Davis Jackson, along with Bill, had helped save earlier that morning. He didn't know who the Korean teenager was, nor did he particularly want to know, since her odd glowing arm turned him off from her. "Whoever she is," he thought, "she's definitely one odd chick, no matter how good-looking she is." The accident victim sat stiffly, an armload of papers on her lap. Her eyes appeared far away as she watched the video. Marty found himself watching her more than the others, as she appeared to be totally lost in herself, unaware of the world around her. Davis stood against the far wall, alternatively watching the video and then shutting his eyes, as if in pain. His breath was agonized and he kept pressing his hand against his side as if there was a pain there that wouldn't relent. Marty wondered what was causing Davis such pain and whether it had any effect on his sudden desire to retire from the technology world. Then there was Bill, sitting to Marty's left, and totally absorbed in the film, a fine sheen of perspiration glistening above his lip. Occasionally he would utter a small sound, which, to Marty's ears, sounded almost like a whimper. Sighing, Marty rested his head against the wall and turned his gaze once more to the television screen. The insects were no longer on the screen, now the camera had shifted to inside a classroom, where a man stood with his back to the camera, staring out a window. The man in the video turned towards the camera and Christina gasped. All eyes turned towards her and she looked down, unable to meet their faces. Since she didn't make any further sounds or say anything to explain herself, they all again returned their attention to the television screen, where the man stared intently back at them. 12:49 - 11.18.02 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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