Captured Lightning

Part One- The Fire

11pm
Bass heavy music reverberates through this hole in the wall club. Colorful lights flash through the velvet curtained windows and the bustling bar has several drunken college students yelling their orders at an overworked bartender. Blitz dances with his boyfriend, enveloped in the music and other tipsy club goers. Both are a few drinks in, a tad more than buzzed, and having a great time. Tonight, they’re celebrating Blitz’s twenty-fifth birthday, and the end of another semester. An unreasonably priced drink passes from one to the other and back again; the club is surprisingly busy for a weeknight. The under lit dance floor changes to a deep magenta and a particularly sexual song begins to play. People start grinding and Blitz quickly decides it's time for a breather. Marley follows him, his dark skin sparkling from beads of sweat in the colorful lights. The taller man grasps a hand around Blitz’s hip to not lose him through the thick crowd as they make their way to the edge of the dance floor. 
Their younger friend, a wonderful third wheel, Jerome was close behind them. Jerome orders three shots of tequila, adding them to his tab and pushes two of them to the couple. Taking his quickly, he sticks his tonue out with a scrunched up nose. 
“God, I don’t know how people chug more than one of these at once- it burns!” Jerome laughs and turns back towards the dance floor with a quick wave of his hand, “It’s too bad Hana is missing this party- it’s poppin!” He quickly rejoins the rest of the clubbers, bouncing and swaying with the loud, sappy love song. 
“Hey, y’know she had another final to study for, unlike team ‘C’s get degrees’ like you, Blitz and I over here!” Marley yells back. He creeps up behind Blitz and gives him one of his trademarked wrap around hugs. Giggling childishly, Blitz pushes away and turns. 
“Gummybear, you know you smother me with those hugs. You’re a solid foot taller than me!” Blitz smiles and wraps his arms around Marley’s waist. He smiles down at Blitz and kisses the other’s dark haired forehead.
“I know you like how tall I am, my handsome little man,” he said smiling, “lemme buy you a drink.”
“Buy me a milkshake instead, I think I’m ready for dessert.” Blitz replies, wiggling shoulders. Marley laughs his deep goofy laugh and obliges. The cookies and cream milkshake slides across the bar as a deep pulsing bass fills the room. A new song begins as Blitz’s head begins to throb. Now, something you should know is, anxiety doesn’t give a damn about where you are, how busy, safe or happy. It often comes and goes as it pleases. Blitz’s chest tightens as he swallows hard, frowning as he places the milkshake back onto the counter. Blitz quickly forces a smile and offers the milkshake to his tall counterpart. 
“Hey Blitzo, you ok?” Marley asks gently. He could always tell when the other wasn’t feeling great. 
“Yeah I just-” Anxiety rushes through his chest like an electrified wave pool and he flinches. “maybe I just need some fresh air.” Blitz’s lungs start to feel tighter and the deeper he attempted to breathe, the faster the breaths came. Turning towards the door, the music seems to grow louder. Each voice in the club is singled out and mixed back together, clashing with the lyrics of the song. 
Pushing past a group of overly made up girls, Blitz makes his way past the bouncer. Marley carefully followed Blitz outside into the humid spring night, light rain sprinkling through the warm darkness. Blitz usually loved the rare city fog, the way streetlights shine thick through the air, ominous yet beautiful. Cars slink past the club, the downtown street cluttered with traffic like always. The wet air sits heavy in Blitz’s lungs and he closes his eyes. Leaning against the damp patio railing he manages to take a full slow breath. Marley wraps his arms around his waist and rests his chin on Blitz’s shoulder. Thunder rumbling somewhere in the distance. A small zap of static sparks from Blitz’s hair to Marley’s chin, and he pulls away shaking his head. 
“Oof, have you been rubbing your socks on the carpet?” Marley said chuckling quietly. But after a shaky sigh from Blitz he quickly follows up. “Hey, I’m kidding, a little static never hurt anyone. How’re you feeling?” 
“I’m- alright, feeling better out here, it’s really peaceful…” Blitz’s voice carries off as a guy stumbles out of the club. Belching wetly, the disheveled old man braces himself with the railing directly next to the couple. Emetophobia didn’t fail Blitz this time, his anxiety spikes like a phantom taser. Entire body going rigid as the man vomits over the railing only a couple feet away.  Like a deer running from a car with no thought, Blitz instinctually bolted in the opposite direction down the sidewalk. He know’s it’s irrational, but everything about sick makes his brain go into fight or flight. Since there is no fighting vomit, there’s only one other option. He had to get away as fast as possible.
In his defense, Marley chases him down the steps and down the street. Blitz, though, is fueled by fear and ran with a speed that is hard for a buzzed man to keep up with. 
“Ey babe, it’s ok, it's ok!” Marley called after him, but the words were lost on Blitz, still in a panic. Blitz wasn’t thinking clearly from the alcohol, and even less clearly from the anxiety rushing through his brain. It was like a clawed hand, grabbing his heart and squeezing it with electric pressure. The only thing Blitz’s alcohol addled mind can see as he runs is fog and lights rushing past his periphrials. The air heating and dragging down his lungs as he sprinted aimlessly forward. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was approaching the small park entrance for Lady Bird Lake, somewhere safe. At an empty section of street a few blocks down, Blitz bolts across and stops in the median of the road gasping for air. The rain falls heavier now, nearly choking Blitz as he struggles to catch his breath. The thunder is almost constant as lightning clashes in the sky above him. He takes a few cautious steps into the street. The final stretch before the park’s quiet safety. Blitz’s relief is short lived though as a deafening horn blasts from his right. Only given half a second to turn, he sees two blinding yellow lights rushing closer. 
But in the instant before they hit, everything went white.