Seventh Dimension - The King - Book 2, A Young Adult Fantasy Read Online Free

opened a
breakfast bar and swallowed some water. An uncomfortable silence
followed when no one offered.
    “We should take
turns sleeping,” Mother said.
    Martha nodded.
    I dozed,
vaguely aware of the faint whisperings of my mother and sister. I
awoke around eight. The cold room gave me goose bumps. I pulled a
sweater out of the box and slipped it on.
    “Have you heard anything?” I asked.
    Martha shook her head.
    Mother’s eyes looked swollen.
    “Both of you need to sleep,” I said. “I can stay
awake now.”
    Mother reluctantly agreed. She pulled the covers up
around her. Martha’s eyes were already closed.
    I heard grating
sounds, like people moving things. Maybe emergency workers were
attempting to dig people out of the rubble.
    Why did I lose
my iPhone? I would have to pay for my next one. I flipped through
Martha’s phone looking for emergency updates. News was either being
withheld or the stations had no power to broadcast. I texted
several friends whose phone numbers I could remember. I figured
they were waiting it out also.
    I dug through our box of stored food. Since I never
thought we’d eat the stuff, I made little effort to get things I
liked. The pistachios and peanut butter would provide protein. I
swallowed some water to get rid of the aftertaste.
    With all the
sirens, an emergency update was due. I flipped on the computer, but
still had no Internet. The best information came from tweets
scattered around Jerusalem and Israel.
    I glanced at
Martha and my mother. Could this be the start of World War III? I
grabbed a gas mask. The other two masks shifted in the pile making
too much noise. I froze and waited. Thankfully, neither of them was
disturbed. I picked up my mother’s iPhone and texted Martha a
message, “Be back shortly.”
    After closing
the door quietly, I walked into the dining room. Mount Zion
continued to burn. Several roads were unpassable and part of the
mountain had collapsed.
    It must have
been an earthquake. The tremor underneath the mountain probably
caused a shift in the plates. Emergency vehicles and street traffic
clogged the road below the mountain.
    I lifted the
gas mask over my head and latched it. The unit was bulky and
uncomfortable. I strode towards the front of the apartment and
cracked the door. Smoke filled the narrow alleyway making it
difficult to see. Footsteps approached and something brushed
against my leg. I looked down to see a trembling brown and white
dog. Her fearful eyes tugged at my heart. I patted her on the head
and she wagged her tail expectantly. I checked for a collar but she
didn’t have one. How would I ever find her owner?
    If chemicals
were used, would she be alive? I didn’t think so, and I took solace
that fewer lives would be lost. I headed to the epicenter of the
Old City with the dog nipping at my heels. She was probably afraid
of losing me. At Zion’s Gate, more chaos confronted me.
    Israeli soldiers blocked the entrance. “You can’t go
in there,” one of them said.
    He had on a gas mask. I was glad I wore mine.
    “You need to go
home. We fear more explosions, or go to a safe room.”
    St. James Monastery in the Armenian quarter lay in
ruins. What about all the priceless books? Martha loved to hang out
there and read.
    Prior attacks filled my mind. We always questioned
if this was the big one. The Old City hadn’t been attacked since
1967. We would never surrender Jerusalem to the Arabs again.
    A sheet covered
a darkened corner of the alleyway. I imagined dead bodies hidden
underneath it. A soldier stood guard.
    “I’m looking for a friend,” I said.
    The guard
didn’t move. “Some of the injured have been sent to Hurva Square.
The synagogue has been converted into an emergency room. Many
casualties have been reported. Right now, you need to go home, Son,
and stay out of harm’s way. Take your dog with you.”
    “Yes, sir.” I didn’t realize the dog was still
following me.
    The soldier wasn’t going to allow me to enter.