The late summer sun beat down on the lab, casting a warm glow over the rows of workstations and equipment. The air was thick with the scent of disinfectant and the soft hum of machinery.
Selena, dressed in a crisp white lab coat, her dark hair tied back in a ponytail, and her eyes shielded by a pair of wire-rimmed glasses, walked into the lab, carrying a tray of mouse Stem Cells. Her feet were clad in a pair of worn-out sneakers, a testament to the countless hours she had spent in the lab, working tirelessly to find a cure for Jonah's paralysis.
Selena was intensely focused on her work, Jonah's paralysis a fire under her ass, driving her to work longer hours, to push herself to the limit. She had been working on a new treatment, using RNA and Stem Cells to repair damaged spinal cords, and she was determined to make it work.
As she walked into the lab, Liam Reinhold, her friend and confidant, looked up from his own project in biotechnology, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment before he returned to his work, the music from his headphones filling the air.
They barely spoke beyond the awkward pleasantries; if it wasn't for the fact that Jonah and others needed her help, she would not have been living in the laboratory. It was hard to see him. He had just bailed on her, and Jakob and Michael left on their first deployment months after that. Jonah was just lying in that bed, and Claire and her parents were a mess. Jenn and James were the only people that she confided in about her heartache.
Her head pounded suddenly, "Oh no. Not here." She tried to set her stuff down so she could pull out her voice recorder. The counter suddenly blurred and doubled. She swayed towards it with her glassware.
"Damn it." she cusssed.
But before Selena could reach the counter, she felt a sudden, familiar sensation wash over her. It was a feeling she had grown accustomed to, a feeling that signaled the onset of a vision. Her head began to hurt, a dull ache that spread from her temples to the back of her skull. Her muscles spasmed, her body stiffening as she felt herself being pulled into the vision.
She could feel it, the vision's power taking hold, drawing her in with an otherworldly force. She was about to be shown something, something important. And she knew, with a sense of growing dread, that it was going to be a disaster.
As the vision took hold, Selena's body began to fall, the tray of mice Stem Cells slipping from her grasp. She felt herself crashing to the floor, the sound of shattering glass and splintering wood filling her ears. The tray's contents spilled everywhere, clean glass slides and flasks shattering on the hard floor. She hated this.
Selena could feel the splintering glass cut through her gloves as she hit the floor with a thud, the impact sending shockwaves through her body. She felt a searing pain in her hands, and she knew that she had to move, to get out of the way of the shattered glass. But she was trapped, unable to move or escape, as the vision continued to unfold before her eyes.
Liam looked up from his work, his eyes locking onto Selena's struggling form. It had been awkward between them since they had sex two years ago when her brother almost died. He loved her but hadn't been able to tell her.
Selena's body writhed and shook as she spoke, her eyes far away. "Earthquake... tsunami... Japan... March 11, 2011... thousands dead... destruction... devastation...Dônn shudders."
Liam rushed to her side, his heart racing with concern. He gently lifted her, trying to avoid the shards of glass as he carried her to a nearby chair.
As he held her, Selena's body continued to convulse, her eyes rolling back in her head. Liam held her close, trying to comfort her as she spoke the warning prophecy.
"Radiation... contamination... Fukushima... nuclear meltdown... environmental disaster... deaths, millions, Japan abandoned."
Liam's eyes widened in horror as he listened to Selena's words. He quickly grabbed his notepad and began to write down the prophecy, trying to capture every detail.
As Selena finally came to, Liam had started to tend to her wounds, trying to clean and bandage the cuts on her hands and arms. Blood was on the floor, and Liam's heart ached with concern for her.
Selena looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Liam, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice shaking. "I don't know how much more of this I can take. I got to get this done, Jo's all depressed."
Liam held her close, trying to comfort her. "I know, Selena," he said softly. "I'm here for you."
Selena broke down, tears streaming down her face. "It's not just Jonah, Liam," she said, her voice filled with frustration. "It's the visions. The physical pain, the seizures. I wish it didn't hurt so much."
Liam held her close, feeling his heartbreak for her. "I wish I could take it away, Selena," he said softly. "I wish I could make it stop." He was working on a biomedical implant. At first, it was for his mother's memory, then it was watching Jonah's epilepsy, then Selena came along, and it became very important. He felt stupid every day for not talking to her after that night in the hospital bathroom.
Selena looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. "You can't, Liam," she said softly. "But just being here for me... it means everything."
Liam held her close, feeling a sense of resolve wash over him. He would be there for her, no matter what.
As they sat there, Selena grabbed her phone and made a call, speaking to her father, Jonathan Lowrie.
"Dad, I had a vision," she said urgently. "There's going to be an earthquake and a tsunami in Japan on March 11, 2011. And the nuclear event... It's going to be catastrophic. The tsunami is going to cause problems. Protecting emergency power supplies, including diesel generators and batteries, by moving them to higher ground or by placing them in watertight bunkers will keep the power supplies safe, make sure JEPCO has backup seawater pumps, and protect what it has. Have extra diesel en route."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then Jonathan's voice came back, firm and resolute. "I'll notify the Japanese government immediately," he said. "We'll do everything we can to mitigate the disaster."
Selena nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. Maybe, just maybe, they could prevent some of the tragedy from occurring. Whether they listen is up to them.
As she hung up the phone, Liam put his arm around her, holding her close. "You're shaking," he said softly. "Are you okay?"
Selena nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Liam. "I'm fine," she said. "Just a little overwhelmed."
Liam held her close, trying to comfort her. "I'm here for you, Selena," he said softly. "I'll always be here for you."
Selena looked up at Liam, her eyes searching for answers. "Then why did you stop talking to me?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Do you realize how awful I felt afterwards? You took my virginity, and you did not even talk to me afterwards." Selena gazed at home, and the tears threatened to come out of her eyes. It felt like her eyes were boiling from her rage and hurt.
Liam took a deep breath, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I was immature and scared, Selena," he said, his voice filled with regret. "I didn't know how to process my feelings for you, and I was afraid of hurting Jakob the most."
Selena's eyes widened in surprise. "Jakob? Really?" she repeated, her voice filled with confusion. What about her? What about her feelings? She wanted to slap him and kiss him at the same time.
Liam nodded, his eyes still cast downward. "My brother is also in love with you, Selena," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I was afraid that if we pursued a relationship, it would tear us apart. I didn't want to lose my brother, Selena."
A look of shame crawled across his face. "I am so sorry, Selena. Shit, I am so clueless. I am a coward. I am so sorry for hurting you."
Selena's face fell, her eyes filling with tears. "I had no idea," she said, her voice shaking. "I thought you just lost interest in me."
Liam's eyes snapped up to hers, filled with regret. "No, Selena," he said, his voice filled with emotion. "I never lost interest in you. I was just too afraid to pursue my feelings."
Selena took a deep breath, trying to process everything Liam had just told her. She looked at him, her eyes searching for answers. His eyes shook with emotion, his breath heavy.
"Why are you telling me this now?" she asked, her voice barely hurt. The years of agony and seemingly unrequited love had taken their toll on her heart.
Liam's eyes locked onto hers, filled with sincerity. "Because I realize now that I was stupid to let my fear get in the way," he said. "I want you to know how I feel, Selena. I want you to know that I still have feelings for you. I cannot stand it anymore, I cannot keep sacrificing my feelings for him." Liam put her hand on his heart.
Selena's heart skipped a beat as she looked at Liam, her mind racing with emotions. She didn't know what to say or how to feel. All she knew was that she had feelings for Liam too, and that she wanted to explore them further.
Selena's eyes blazed with anger as she hit Liam on the chest. "You idiot!" she exclaimed. "You were too afraid to tell me how you felt? You could have told me all of this, but you left me to hurt for years. I tried talking to you, and you just always found an excuse to avoid me. You coward."
Selena pulled away from Liam, her eyes flashing with hurt and anger. She stood up, her movements stiff and jerky, and ripped off her nitrile gloves, revealing hands that were shaking and bleeding. She tossed the gloves in the trash, her eyes never leaving Liam's face. He watched, frozen, as she turned and walked away, the lab door slamming shut behind her.
Liam's eyes widened in surprise, but Selena didn't give him a chance to respond. She turned and ran out of the lab, leaving Liam standing alone, unsure of what to do next. He took a deep breath, trying to process what had just happened, and then he quickly sprang into action, taking off his gear and grabbing both their coats and Selena's purse.
Selena stormed down the three flights of stairs, her feet pounding the steps in a furious rhythm. She was a whirlwind of emotion, her heart racing and her breath coming in short gasps. She didn't stop until she reached the lobby, where she pushed through the door and out into the cool autumn air.
The garden outside was a riot of color, with plants and flowers still blooming despite the approaching winter. Selena walked through the garden, her feet crunching on the gravel path. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down, but a tear still ran down her cheek. She wiped it away, her hand shaking.
Meanwhile, Liam was scrambling to catch up with her. He quickly took off his gear, grabbed both their coats and Selena's purse, and rushed out of the lab. He sprinted down the halls, his footsteps echoing off the walls. He was a minute and a half behind Selena, but he was determined to catch up with her.
As Selena walked to the street, she realized that she had forgotten her purse and car keys. She stopped, panting and out of breath, and looked around frantically. That was when she saw the black luxury vehicle driving up slowly, its window lowering with a smooth whir.
Suddenly, gunfire erupted from an automatic gun, and people panicked, ducking and screaming. Selena's heart skipped a beat as she froze, her eyes fixed on the gun. She was trapped, with no way to escape. People panicked, ducking and screaming as the shots rang out.
"Oh my God!" someone shouted, their voice piercing the air. "Get down!" Selena's heart racing, she tried to run, but her legs felt like lead and her feet seemed rooted to the spot. It was too late. A searing pain tore through her chest, like a hot knife slicing through her skin. She felt herself falling, her body crumpling to the ground.
Selena hit the ground hard, the impact sending shockwaves through her already battered body. It was the second time that day she'd fallen, and the pain was unbearable. Her hands, still shaking from the earlier lab accident, now felt like they were on fire. The world around her began to spin, and she felt her consciousness slipping away.
A medical student, who had been walking by, rushed to her side, her face etched with concern. "Help!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the surrounding buildings.
"Someone call 911!" The student's hands moved quickly and surely, applying pressure to Selena's wound as she struggled to keep her eyes open. The pain was overwhelming, and Selena's thoughts grew cloudy. She tried to speak, but her voice was barely a whisper.