It’s Flash Fiction Monday and this week’s inspiration comes from the song The Hammer’s Comin’ Down, by Nickelback. Listening to the song inspired me, but so did some of the lyrics specifically, so I’ve posted them below.

Where will you be when the sky comes down?
What would you do if the strength was found?
Stay right beside me when the ground starts shaking
The only sound you’ll lose is the breath we’re taking

If there’s only one thing I can promise you
You’ll see the light again
This the calm before the coming storm
This is the red sky morning
And without warning now
This is the rocket we’ve been waiting for
And there’s no sense in running
The hammer’s coming down, down
The hammer’s coming down, down
The hammer’s coming

Once it’s starting, there’s no turning back
But I’ll be with you when the sun turns black
‘Cause finding faith will always be the hardest
While your standing in the heart of darkness
If there’s only one thing I can promise you
You’ll see the light again
This is the calm before the coming storm
This is the red sky morning
And without warning now
This is the pocket we’ve been waiting for
And there’s no sense in running

The hammer’s coming down, down
The hammer’s coming down, down
The hammer’s coming down, down

Holding on, we’ll make it till the dawn
And it’ll be here, before long
Holding on, if we can find the light
We can make our way back home
Holding on, we’ll make it till the dawn
And it’ll be here, before long
Holding on, if we can find the light
We’ll find the light, come on

Holding on, we’ll make it till the dawn
And it’ll be here, before long
Holding on, if we can find the light
We can make our way back home
Holding on, we’ll make it till the dawn
And it’ll be here, before long
Holding on, if we can find the light
We’ll find the light, come on

This is the calm before the coming storm
This is the pocket we’ve been waiting for

Holding on, we’ll make it till the dawn
And it’ll be here, before long
Holding on, if we can find the light
We’ll find the light, come on

This the continuation of an earlier Flash Fiction post. To read the first part, click here.

***

Leaning across the table, Celeste clasped my hands in hers, “Please, Kat. Please say you’ll say help me.”

I was completely thunderstruck. Fairy tales weren’t real. I wasn’t sitting across the table from Snow freaking White and I sure couldn’t do anything to find her missing miners. “Wait,” I said before the thought had even fully formed. “Aren’t they dwarves?”

At that she smiled. “No, they are not dwarves in the sense of being small, as is, I think, the traditional story that is told. They are, as I said, miners And brothers. I believe, over the years the story was twisted so that it became common lore that they were of the race of dwarves who are traditionally miners.”

“Wait, that’s not the point,” I said. Standing up, I pulled Milo with me and headed towards the door. “You’re not Snow White, I’m not your great, great, whatever niece, and I’m not looking for any lost miner guys. We’re going.” I was halfway out the door when she spoke again.

“What about you, Milo? Why haven’t you told Kat about your dreams?”

I felt Milo stiffen behind me. “Dreams,” I said. “What dreams?” Turning to look at him, I could see a flush creeping up his face.

“I, uh, they’re not, I don’t think. They can’t be. What?” The last part he directed to Celeste. “Do you mean they’re related somehow?”

“If you’re here with Kat, yes. You wouldn’t have been able to set foot in this house, or even see it, if you weren’t meant to be here. Please, will you both sit back down?”

In a complete daze, I stumbled back to the table and sat. “Talk,” I said to Milo. And he did.

It took some prodding and finally the story came out. A couple of weeks after my dreams had started, Milo’s had shown up. They were always the same. He was trapped underground, he was weak and tired but, oddly, hopeful. He knew he wasn’t alone but he couldn’t see anyone else. He knew where he was, but at the same time, there was no conscious thought of where he was. At the end of the dream, there was always a blast and a rock fall. And then he woke up. He had never told me about he because it didn’t think it was related to my dreams. He was pretty severely claustrophobic, so he’d had dreams about situations like that all his life.

Celeste had a different take.

“The miners were imprisoned by the Queen in their iron mine, in a sort of stasis. The magic surrounds them completely, sustains them, infuses them. I believe it’s allowing them to communicate with Milo.”

“Why me?”

“As Kat is descended from my family, you must be descended from theirs. They were a large family, every seventh generation had seven sons. That’s where my friends came from, they were that seventh generation.”

“I’m the youngest of seven boys,” Milo said quietly, not able to meet Celeste’s eyes.

***

Check out the links below to read the flash fiction stories:

Jess
Bronwyn
Paige
Jessica
Gwen
Kris
Kellie