I Died When the Sky Fell, Now I Wake Up Holding Lightning novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: Dead Birds

"I paid him for a truck because a truck is what you'll need," Hollis said.

Emmett looked from my face to his and began studying the ceiling.

"How did you know I'd need one?" I said.

"I read the substation reports," Hollis said. "The grid in this county has been failing for months. I expected something to give."

"On July eighth?"

"I didn't pick the date."

"I did," I said. "And you already had it."

He did not answer.

I felt something cold settle in my chest and stay there.

"You knew," I said. "Before I told you, you knew."

"Greta."

"Don't," I said. "I'll take the truck and I'll take your help, because I need both. But I'm writing down every lie."

"That's fair," he said.

It was the worst possible thing to say, because it was true.

Two days later, I stood in the parking lot behind my building at six in the morning, holding a cup of coffee, and watched a sparrow fall out of the sky.

It landed on the asphalt six feet away and did not move.

Then a second one fell.

Then a pigeon, and a crow, and another sparrow.

They came down one at a time across the whole lot, with small soft sounds.

Emmett stood beside me with a wrench in his hand, his mouth hanging open.

"Is that on your calendar?" he said.

"No," I said. "Not this early."

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