~Prologue~

"It was worth getting up at the ass-crack of dawn just for this."

Lucas mused to himself as he took in the beautiful scenery spread out before him. The Talimena Scenic Drive through Rich Mountain really lived up to it's name in the early morning sunlight. Scenic indeed. Vivid green grass shining with the remnants of a cold morning dew. Majestic, towering evergreen trees spread out to the horizon on either side of the old two-lane highway. Patches of some type of violet-colored flowers Lucas couldn't quite identify. Times like these made him wish he could remember the names of all the flowers native to the area like his grandfather did. That old man seemed to know the name of anything that sprouted from a seed.

The thick white fog lingering across the road at the foot of the rolling mountains gave an ethereal feel to the whole experience. A thick forest on this side of the fog, a grassy mountain drive on the other. It was almost as if the road was magical, welcoming adventurous travelers into another realm, a more peaceful realm in the clouds, away from mid-term exams, overpriced college tuition, and cheating ex-girlfriends named Lindsay. That damn Lindsay. Why not just break off the relationship if you weren't happy? What's the point of sneaking around with other guys while pretending to be perfectly fine? At least have the decency to stop playing with the heart of a man trying to build a better life with you!

"Haaaaaaaaah" A morose sigh filled the air.

Whatever, i guess.

"Fuck it. Dwelling on questions with no answers won't make it hurt any less." Lucas mumbled under his breath before releasing his frustrations through another long sigh.

When he called his grandfather a few days ago and told him about his disastrous and messy split with his girlfriend, the old man laughed so hard his dentures nearly escaped his mouth. Actually, that very likely happened, wouldn't be the first time. "That's life boy! You win some, you lose some. Her loss as far as I'm concerned. Get your ass back home for spring break, we'll go into the woods like we used to. Can't be sad when you're avoiding cougars and tracking deer for your next meal. Hell, I'll even let you bring a sleeping bag this time. Aren't I compassionate? Ahahah!" So, getting his ass back home was exactly what Lucas intended to do. Not like he could continue to stay in their apartment anyway, the lease was in Lindsay's name, and he sure as hell wasn't going to be there when she decides to return to that dump from wherever she's been all week.

Lucas Marshall Grey was as loud as he was kind. Yup, Lucas shared a name with his grandfather. Technically he was Lucas Grey the Third, but in rural Arkansas anyone named the third would obviously be the target of some old-fashioned bullying. Luckily this was never an issue for Lucas. Everyone in their little community just called his grandfather Old Man anyway, so Lucas simply chose not to tell his peers his full title. No sense causing trouble over a silly number attached to a name.

The rising sun brought the temperature up with it, banishing the morning fog, and closing the imaginary interdimensional portal. The fictional path to a peaceful world in the clouds may be gone, but the path to a peaceful home remained. Cruising along as his favorite heavy metal playlist filled the interior of his 4-door sedan with the unique relaxation that only primal screams and brutal breakdowns could provide, Lucas' thoughts were drawn to the home he was headed for, and the life he had there.

"Seventeen years huh? Almost two decades, just me, the old man, and a big fancy house with too many empty rooms."

Lucas was only five years old when his life went through a whirlwind of change. Lucas Grey Junior, his father, found sudden success when his small chain of local restaurants was bought by a famous global brand for an obscenely huge sum of money. The secret recipe fried chicken his mother made up for their business must have been worth that much to whatever CEO made those decisions. Honestly, Lucas still couldn't believe a few seasonings made his family millionaires seemingly overnight. The abrupt swelling of the family finances prompted his parents to purchase a mansion-style cabin near his father's home town, with a beautiful view of the lake and more land than they could reasonably maintain. 

His older brother wasn't at all happy about the move, distraught would probably be more appropriate, something about being in love with the Collins twins and life being unfair. The usual pre-teen drama. Except the twins part. Really Noah? You love both of them? Is it even love if you can't choose between them? Lucas didn't understand then, and he certainly doesn't understand now. Especially not after Lindsay. That damn Lindsay.

"No no. Don't fall back into that bullshit line of thought." Lucas reprimanded himself, shaking his head in exasperation. He released a long sigh in effort to redirect his thought back to his family, trying to recall the smiles of his mother and father.

They were so excited about finally seeing the new Grey Family Home, as his mother had called it. As soon as his mother found the house listed for sell on the realtor's website she immediately convinced her husband the he loved it just as much as she did. Jennifer Grey was the type of person that always got what she wanted. That's the way the old man described her anyway. Beautiful, dependable, capable, caring, and the real key to success in the family business. Lucas didn't remember much about his family, but his parent's smiles were still there in his mind. Especially his mother's. Memories of her beautiful, warm smile was still a comfort to him even in adulthood.

It was cruel irony that his family was planning their future when the accident happened. A stupid drunk teen driving way too fast swerved into the opposite lane, and straight into his dad's economy sedan. There was barely enough time for his mother to scream before the inevitable collision. The massive farm truck the kid was driving crushed their car like an empty aluminum can. Being in the rear passenger-side seat, Lucas was far enough from the impact to get away with minimal injuries; broken leg, concussion, and some really ugly bruises from the seat belt. Doctors told Lucas his father died instantly. As Lucas got older he understood this implied that his mother and brother didn't, a fact that still haunts his dreams on occasion.

And of course the teen that murdered his family was perfectly fine, just some bruised ribs and a busted lip. The police took the bastard out of the hospital and put him directly in jail. Whatever punishment he was going to receive never came though. The coward chose the easy way out. Apparently death was more attractive than decades in a federal prison. 

A grandfather Lucas didn't even know existed showed up while he was in the hospital. A rough old redneck, tall enough to bump his head on the doorway, with a thick beard and biceps as big as his head, the old man was absolutely terrifying to a five year old boy who just lost everyone he cared about. The old man didn't say a word when he first walked into the room. He knelt by the bed, held Lucas' hand with surprising delicacy, and silently wept with the boy.

"Stubborn old man. Maybe if you showed that side of yourself to the ladies you would have remarried years ago." Lucas chuckled.

Since that day it's just been Lucas and the old man. The hulking army veteran eventually became something of an hero figure to young Lucas. The guy was all about honor, family, and doing right by the people he cared about. The man had a moral compass more reliable than GPS. He sold his house and moved himself and Lucas into the massive house by the lake. "Junior and Jenny bought this place for their children to grow up in. We're going to honor their wish." Or so the old man said.

A chest-rumbling boom jolted Lucas away from his little trip down memory lane. 

"What the hell was that?" Lucas asked no one as he slowed his car and pulled to a stop in the grass beside the highway. He threw the shifter knob up into park and quickly leaned as far forward as he could before bumping into the steering wheel, craning his neck back and scouring the sky above for the source of the sonic-boom. All he could see was a flock of geese flying high overhead in the typical V formation.

Geese? In the Arkansas mountains in spring? No. Not geese. "Why are fighter jets breaking the sound barrier all the way out here? Training exercises, maybe? That sonic-boom scared me half to death." His phone began screeching that obnoxiously loud siren it only does when an emergency alert is sent out by the authorities to all citizens mobile devices. Slightly panicking at this point, he hurriedly yanked his phone from the cup holder beside him and flipped it around to read the alert.

 NATIONAL EMERGENCY ALERT:

ICBM high-yield impact imminent. Seek shelter immediately.

Remain indoors. Seal off all entrances.

This is not a test.

The phone in his hand suddenly felt like it weighed fifty pounds. His heart began beating faster and harder than it did during his evening jogs. All moisture was gone from his mouth. A jittery shaking took hold of his body, rattling him to his core, causing his phone to slip from the hand he didn't seem to have control of anymore. He couldn't breath. Sweat was rolling down his back, soaking through his cotton t-shirt. Every muscle in his body was tense and straining. Primal terror ripped his sanity away from him.

"No." Whispered Lucas. It wasn't a statement, it was a plea. A denial of reality. "No."

The sun somehow got brighter just then. Lucas turned his head to look forward again. His neck moving in jerky, stiff little bursts. The fear was making him cold now. All the hair on his arms was standing on end, his entire body so tense even his toes were tightly curled inside his work boots. Cold sweat dripped down his temple, leaving an icy-hot trail down the side of his face.

"No." Not even a whisper escaped this time. The mushroom cloud he saw looming in the distance glowed an iridescent red, like magma caught in the sky, but exponentially brighter. So bright, in fact, his color vision rapidly diminished as he observed the ultimate power in all its fury. 

Another sonic boom split the air.

Tears slowly fell from the corner of Lucas' eyes. His body was spasming so hard his teeth chattered against each other. He didn't know if he leaned forward intentionally or not, he didn't know why he looked to the skies above, he didn't know anything anymore. No, that's not true. He knew fear. And that was all he knew when all of existence flashed a brilliant, all-encompassing white. Everything turned into pure light, and the fear disappeared. Everything vanished. Lucas vanished.