Saving Sky Read Free Page B

refineries and petrochemical plants in Louisiana—”
    â€œWhat’s that?” Mouse asked. “What’s a petro—?”
    â€œPetrochemical plant. It’s like a factory. It takes crude oil and natural gas and turns them into things we use.”
    â€œYou said there were two attacks,” Sky reminded him. “Did you mean the plants and the refineries? Two separate things?”
    â€œNo. They also destroyed the pumping system for our Strategic Petroleum Reserve. That’s extra oil we have stored underground in case of a national emergency. The oil’s still there, but we can’t get it out until the system’s repaired.”
    â€œOh.”
    Sky felt strangely unmoved. She knew what had happened was terrible, but somehow she couldn’t relate to it. The destruction of a building, or a tunnel, or a mall—that sort of thing she could understand. It had a human element. It was scary. But factories, and pumps, and oil…
    â€œWhat this means,” Luke said as though reading her mind, “is that fuel is going to be scarce for a while. Much more so than it is now.”
    â€œWas anybody killed?” Sky asked.
    â€œYes. We don’t know how many. They can’t get in to search till the fires are under control.”
    He didn’t say anything more after that. He just sat there, a daughter’s hand in each of his, gazing meaningfully at Ana across the table. She gazed meaningfully back.
    There was more to this story; Sky could tell.
    Finally Luke squeezed their hands. That was it, then. He was ready to start the blessing.
    â€œPeople died tonight,” he said. “We take this moment to honor them.”
    â€œThey were innocent,” Ana picked up the chant.
    â€œSome of them had children who will miss them very much.” As Mouse said this, she immediately started to cry.
    â€œThey had husbands, and wives, and parents.”
    â€œBrothers and sisters.”
    â€œThey were probably really scared.”
    â€œWe didn’t know them, but we mourn them just the same. They walked this earth beside us, and they did some good, and they loved people, and they died too young.”
    None of them wiped their tears away; no one was embarrassed. This was their gift, their small acknowledgment of lives that had been lived, then lost. It was a sad thing. Tears were appropriate.
    They sat quietly for a while, focusing their thoughts on the spirits of the dead, now floating skyward to become one with the stars.
    â€œWe send each of you our blessing,” Luke said, rising to his feet and leading them out the front door, onto the portal . They took their accustomed seats, Mouse and Sky rocking rhythmically in the porch swing.
    Ana brought out the blankets; it was already very cold. Then they sat in silence, gazing out at the dazzling light show spread across the sky. So many stars, so many spirits. Millions and millions of lives, begun and ended since the world began.
    Sky let her mind travel up to the heavens and imagined each person who had died that night. She blessed every one. You, and you, and you, she whispered in her mind. Good-bye. We will miss you. Be well .
    The blessing lasted about fifteen minutes. Ana always seemed to know when the right amount of time had passed. Then she took up the final farewell.
    â€œThe universe is one great spirit,” she said. “Every breath you took over the course of your life is with us still. It fills the air we breathe. You have become part of us. You are eternal now.”
    â€œEternal,” the girls repeated.
    And then, all together: “Good-bye.”
    They gathered up the blankets and went inside. Ana folded them carefully and put them away in the cupboard. Luke got a small yellow pad out of a kitchen drawer and, leaning against the counter, began to write.
    Ana turned to the girls, opening her arms wide. “Come here,” she said.
    Sky loved it when her mother did this. They