Mr. Billings sat on his family room sofa reading a newspaper. The television directly in front of him was on, but the volume was set very low. Mr. Billings surveyed the headlines Earthquake in Thailand, Famine in Africa, Terrorist attack in France, Mudslides in California. Mr. Billings shrugged his shoulders and sighed. He folded the newspaper and placed it on the couch beside him. He closed his eyes and ran his finger against the cross necklace hanging from his neck.
“Bad news,” he whispered. “It is always bad news these days.”
Mr. Billings felt the sudden rush of warm air behind him. He opened his eyes and glanced down at the clock resting on the end table. It read 3:45 am. He could make out the
shadows of two figures on the living room floor.
“Bringing boys home now, Leslie?” Mr. Billings calmly asked. He gently rubbed his mustache.
“Not quite, Doctor Billings,” a female voice replied.
Mr. Billings turned.
“Elisha Lightning!” he gasped, jumping up from the sofa and knocking the newspaper to the floor. “I thought you were my daughter!”
“Don’t worry, doctor,” she said. “I saw your daughter, Leslie, earlier this evening. She was fine. I would imagine she is on her way home now. Wouldn’t you like to know about this green haired alien that I brought to your house?”
Solstice was rubbing his head. He stumbled over to a chair and leaned against it.
“Feeling weak”, Solstice mumbled. “My dimensional journey has weakened me.”
“Your alien friend can wait. Let’s talk about Leslie,” Dr. Billings continued. “She’s only five hours past curfew and it is my understanding that she has been out partying with friends. But that’s none of my business, right Elisha?”
“Maybe she just needs some time off from all the unreasonable demands her father places on her!” Elisha Lightning angrily retorted.
Solstice stumbled across the room and hit the wall.
“Can barely stand”, he said. “The Moon Hunter is coming for me. He wants to destroy
the Light.”
“Unreasonable demands?” Mr. Billings pondered. He sat back down on the sofa. He
adjusted his glasses. “I would think most people would consider the power of the Elijah
bracelet as a gift.”
Elisha Lightning zipped around the room in a blur of purple and green. In the blink of an
eye she had pulled a book off the bookcase on the far side of the living room and turned the
television off.
“Perhaps we could discuss this disagreement about your daughter at a later time,” she said. “Solstice needs our help.”
“And what is with the costume?” Mr. Billings remarked. “Do you have to show your
stomach with everything you wear?”
“Let’s just say I made some modifications to better fit my personality,” Elisha Lightning
replied. “Can we focus for a minute on Solstice?”
“Solstice?” Mr. Billings quipped. “Oh, yes. Right, your alien friend. Did you say it was a
Moon Hunter?”
“I thought I had seen it referenced in one of your journals,” she said, flipping through the pages at lightning speed.
“They are,” Mr. Billings said. “But not that one. The Moon Hunters date back thousands
of years to the Old Testament times.”
“He says it is coming to take the Light,” she returned the book to the shelf.
“And this Light,” Mr. Billings said. “Where does it come from?”
“The Light is a gift from the Son,” Solstice replied.
They shockingly turned. Solstice stood engulfed in flame. The fire did not harm him.
“We must hurry, Elisha,” Mr. Billings called out. He pointed down the hallway. “Get him
down to my basement laboratory at once! Do it quickly!”
Elisha Lightning did not hesitate. In a burst of speed, she whipped around Solstice forty
times extinguishing the flames. Then, she picked him up and rocketed down the hallway.
In two seconds, she was back in the living room. Solstice was not with her.
“Why such a rush to get rid of him?” she asked.
“A Moon Hunter is a dangerous enemy with incredible power,” Mr. Billings answered. “Back in the Elijah Lightning days, I faced one or two of them myself. I pray you never have to see one. Hopefully, the lead shielding in my lab will hide Solstice’s energy signature long enough for the Moon Hunter to call off his hunt. Moon Hunters feed off energy, both natural and supernatural. Even with your enhanced powers and the Elijah Bracelet, I doubt you would last long against a Moon Hunter.”
“Oh please, Dad,” Elisha Lightning smiled. She vibrated her hand to create a purple flame. “I can take any Moon Hunter easily!”
“One day your arrogance will be the death of you!” Mr. Billings fumed.
“Then I’ll even out run death too!” Elisha Lightning boasted. “Got to go! School
tomorrow!”
Swish! Zoom! In a flash of purple and green lightning, she rocketed up the stairs and
disappeared into the bedroom. Mr. Billings walked over to the staircase.
“Death is the one thing you’ll never outrun,” he mumbled, “No matter how fast or how strong you are. Trust me, I know. It will catch you.”
THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES.......
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