A Night To Remember

by Meg Jones

Author's Note: "Nature does not have the heart of a human."
This story was inspired by the show "Fatal Twisters; Fury On The Plain" that has been shown on HBO a number of times. I would like to dedicate this story to all the people who have lost loved ones in the fury of one of nature's most deadly storm. This story is by all means fictional, but what does that matter, since it comes straight from the heart.

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Like Jim Carey said in the movie Simon Birch, you're never prepared for the event that will change your life forever. I know that I sure wasn't.
    Let me start from the beginning, back to the date of July 4, 1997. The weather that morning was beyond perfect when I awoke next to my beloved husband Daniel. The air was soft on your skin, cool and sweet to the smell, and the sunshine touched everything on the land with it's golden fingers.
    A rush of excitement shot through my veins as I thought of how fun this day was going to be. My best and most loved friend Lindsay and her wonderful husband and my husband's best mate were coming to town. Her and I hadn't seen each other since Easter and we were quite looking forward to our little get together to celebrate our country's independence.
Darren and Daniel never did celebrate the Fourth, since it wasn't a custom in their home country, yet they cheerily agreed to join our small festivities, despite the fact that this wasn't really their country where they felt complet ely at home.
Careful not to wake my sleeping husband I slipped on my white robe, leaned over the bed, and planted a small kiss on his lips. He didn't wake up, yet he smiled slightly and turned over in the bed. Smiling to myself I tip toed out of the carpeted room and down the glossy wooden steps, holding on to the railing since I didn't quite have my balance back from sleep. The sunlight hit my eyes like a thousand flashing cameras. The whole living room, with windows from floor to ceiling, seemed to glow from the 6 AM sun. The white and midnight blue furniture was painful to look at, the glass coffee table reflected light beams onto the marble fireplace. Slowly my vision became adjusted and I turned around and made my way to the kitchen to make coffee.
    I was sitting outside on the screened in porch when Daniel opened the door and sat down next to me in the swinging bench. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, smiling to himself and shutting his eyes as he inhaled the beauty of the morning. Then, turning to me, he scooted closer and put both of his hands on my face, and pulled me in for a light good morning kiss. "Sleep well?" I asked, taking a sip of my coffee and then setting the cup on the arms of the bench. He nodded and smiled at me. "I could get used to the sun waking me up every morning before noon." I laughed lightly and slapped him playfully on the thigh. We were silent for a moment, and then out of nowhere Daniel spoke: "I love you, you do know that don't you?" I was a little surprised, yet touched deeply. "Yes, I know. I love you too honey." I replied, laying my head down in his lap. His fingers touched my hair, and then his whole hand was running over my head, touching, playing, brushing my hair from my eyes.
    Inside the phone rang, breaking the moment between us. Daniel sighed with frustration and carefully pushed me off of him and stood up. He turned and knelt down in front of the bench, so that our eyes were even. "I'll be right back." He whispered, touching my face gently and then dashing off to get the phone.
    He was back shortly, a wry smile on his face as he sat down heavily and pulled me into his lap. "Who was it?" I asked, turning to my left so that I could look up into his eyes. "Darren." He answered, rolling his eyes. "What'd he want?" "To let us know that he's leaving." "So he'll be here around noon right?" Daniel nodded and laid his left hand on my shoulder. "What's the matter honey?" I asked, sitting up and taking both his hands into mine, feeling the smooth wood of the bench rub against the bare skin of my ankles. "Nothing." He shook his head and did his best to smile. "You sure?" I asked, laying both my hands on the soft cotton of his T-shirt. He nodded again. Not wanting to bother him anymore I shut my mouth and laid back down, feeling the soft fabric of his plaid shorts against my face.
    Daniel began to run his hand up and down my arm, massaging the muscles and pulling the collar of my robe down just a little bit, so he could stick his hand inside and run his fingers along my neck and down to my bare breasts. "Daniel!" I teased, slapping his hand away and pulling my robe back up. "Sorry." He replied, his voice light and cheery again, so soft and sweet was his accent. Everything just seemed so perfect. How could have everything in my life that was going right, suddenly go to hell within minutes?


"Meg, Darren and Lindsay are here." "Shit! I haven't even finished the salad!" Daniel placed his hands on my shoulders gently and kissed my neck. Immediately I was filled with calmness and could think clearly again. "It's all right sweety, just stay cool and everything will be fine." He whispered, giving my shoulders a little reassuring squeeze. "Helllllooo, anybody home?" Lindsay called from the front door. "No! Go away!" I yelled back, my laughter cutting me off and blowing my cover before I could finish the sentence. "Meg The Peg Leg Pirate!" Lindsay came around the corner and greeted me with open arms. "Cap'n!" I shouted and ran into her arms and gave her a sisterly hug.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Daniel giving us both a confused yet amused look. I grinned at him and pulled away from Lindsay, stepping back a few paces to look at her.
    In my opinion, Lindsay had always been the more beautiful one of us two. She had this long brown hair that was always shiny and completely straight. I sometimes doubted if she ever had a bad hair day in her entire life. Her face was long and thin, her eyes almond shaped and always mysterious looking. Her light gray-blue eyes always made her look serious, even when she was in hysterics laughing. Occasionally she would wear her small round glasses to enhance her vision, which pretty much squared off her face and added a brighter touch. Her lips had always been thin, and she hardly ever smiled in pictures, though she was quite happy most of the time. She had been wearing gothic make up ever since she turned 14, but today she was just simple old Lindsay that only came out in personal gatherings. No make up, nothing special done with her hair, no fancy silks and laces, no nothing. Just the regular Lindsay dressed in cream colored cargo pants and a silver and blue jersey.
    "How's my favorite sister?" Daniel asked, taking Lindsay into his arms and giving her a friendly pat on the back. Lindsay smiled and laughed. "I'm doing just fine. How about my favorite brother?" Daniel grinned back and playfully punched her on the arm. Lindsay and Daniel weren't related in any way really, it's just that the four of us were really close, so we were practically family.
    "Hey! Yall forgot me!" Darren walked into the kitchen, his bottom lip stuck out, trying to look pathetic. "Oh Dazza, how could we ever forget you?" I shouted and jumped into his arms and hooked my slinky little arms around his neck. He struggled to hold me up, but looked down and smiled politely anyway. Not wanting to hurt the poor guy, I hopped down, and then back up into Daniel's arms. Daniel smiled and pulled me close, burying his lips in my hair and taking a deep breath.
    "So, whatsa fo suppa?" Linds asked, walking over to the blue tiled counter and inspecting the food with that common official look to her. She always looked like a strict figure of authority, how she stood, how she talked, and how she laughed. It always cracked me up when I compared the serious side of her, to the practically silly side of her that I saw more often.
    "Well, the puppies are willing to share their dog food with you I suppose. Since you didn't cook and all, you guys have got to eat with my puppies!" Daniel joked, setting me down on the floor and giving Lindsay a playful shove. "What!" Darren shrieked, his eyes wide with terror. "I cooked!" Lindsay rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Haha Daz." "Shut up! I did too! I made the macaroni salad!" "Whoa Darren! Master Chef! I bow to your...ummm...well whatever those things are called..." I glanced at Darren's silver and blue platforms.
    Darren smiled and rolled his eyes. "Piss on you." "Pass." I retorted. "All right, all right, enough, let's eat!" Daniel cried, clapping his hands together in excitement. "Right on brother Daniel!" Lindsay joined in and began carrying food out to the back patio.


    That afternoon was unlike any other that summer. It was beautiful, yes, but something about it seemed strange and unnatural. The back patio was big and spacious. On one side there was a gas grill, and a bench beside it. Off to the far left corner there was a cute little two person sauna, and then finally, in the middle, there was two wooden picnic tables which had red white and blue table cloths on them. The house was up on a hill, so the patio gave a perfect view of the rest of the lusciously green land and thick forest beyond the gently rolling hills.
    As I sat down to munch on some sour cream and onion chips, I took note of the strange color of the sky. Instead of it's usual pale blue it was almost a yellow, not really yellow, and not really noticeable unless you studied the sky hard. Being a meteorologist, I've always had a natural curiosity and fascination for the sky and what it beholds.
    But it wasn't my four years in Oklahoma University that made me uneasy as I studied the sky and it's swiftly moving cumulous clouds. Something deep down inside me, told me that some nasty weather was on the way. Something about the stillness of the air, the unusually cool temperature, the way that the dogs in the kennel paced back and forth nervously.
    Trying to ignore the uneasiness of the day I got up and walked across the patio to where Daniel was grilling garden burgers and hot dogs. "Hey there." He said as I put both my hands on his shoulders and leaned against him. "Hi." I muttered. Instantly he picked up on something in my tone of voice. Taking the last burgers off the grill, he turned around and looked at me. "What's wrong?" His eyes were full of worry as they usually were when he thought there was something the matter with anyone.
    I didn't want to spoil the day for him with my silly uneasiness so I just smiled and shook my head. "Nothing. Just hungry." "Oh." The look on his face told me that he didn't believe one word I said, but I let it slide. "Hey Meg! Can I take this dog home with me?" Lindsay called from the back yard. Smiling I ran to the opposite side of the deck and looked below to the dog kennel, where Lindsay and Darren were standing, petting my Great Dane. "Hell no he's my guard dog!" I called back and watched as Darren smiled and Lindsay's face fell in mock disappointment.
    "Food's ready!" Daniel called and Lindsay and Darren raced up the stairs and stumbled into the picnic table seats. Daniel and I smiled and carried the trays of food to the table. "Oh these poor cows!" Lindsay squeals as she watches Darren and Daniel set burgers on their plates. "They're garden burgers Linds, calm down." Daniel mutters, laying a few pickles on his sandwich and then shoving the whole thing into his mouth.
    For some reason I hesitated on eating, even though I was quite hungry. After a few moments Daniel noticed and instead of saying anything, gave me a questioning look. "Is my cooking really that bad?" He asked, trying to crack a joke although there was seriousness in it. "Ummm you know what? I think I forgot something inside. Be back in a second!" And before anyone could ask anything I jumped up off the picnic table and darted inside, accidentally slamming the screen door behind me.
    When I reached the kitchen counter I leaned against it to gather my senses. What was I doing? I asked myself, repeatedly massaging my temples, trying to calm down my craziness.
    After a few moments the door behind me opened and then shut quietly. Not even having to turn around I said, "Hi Daniel." He didn't answer but came up behind me and stood in front of me, putting his hands on my shoulder in that authority kind of way. By the way he sighed I could tell he was worried. "Baby, what's the matter?" He asked, pulling me close to him so that his over sized Fubu shirt closed in around my face. Slowly I took a deep breath and let it out, savoring the manly sent of him.
    "I don't know what's wrong with me Daniel, I'm just worried about something, but I don't know what!" I knew I wasn't making any sense and could already tell he wasn't following. But instead of asking what I meant, he rubbed my back and patted my head reassuringly. "It's just all this stress I bet. It'll be OK. Come on Meg, let's just relax all day today and not worry about a thing." He looked at me, his eyes wide and coaxing.
    "All right." I agreed and did my best to smile. But I was quite shaken and couldn't get over it. Something in the back of my mind kept telling me something, sending me a blind message and I had no clue as to what the message was. Back outside the breeze had picked up from the South east and was a little cool for this time of year, having a musty smell to it, almost like damp earth. I knew that smell. I would know it if I were dead. It was the smell of rain. The smell of on coming trouble.


About an hour later, Lindsay and I were putting things away as the boys played soccer outside in the front yard. I happened to look out the kitchen window for a moment. Uneasiness swept over me as I stared at the fading sun and the dark gray clouds that were rolling in over head, choking out the sunny cheerfulness and bringing with them their gloomy and to me pleasing shadow.
    "Hmmm. Looks like Washington weather. Yippee!" Lindsay mused, standing beside me, hands on the edge of the sink as she stared excitedly at the on coming rain. "Yeah." I muttered, not as thrilled as I usually was when bad weather was expected.
    Far off in the distance a thin lightning bolt cracked, disappearing over the horizon, and bringing a dull clap of thunder with it. And that's when I finally took notice in the horizon. It was nearly black as night, with high churning clouds making their way slowly northwest, towards us.
    Quickly I walked out onto the patio and called Darren and Daniel in, who came in just in the nick of time, as the first rain drops were beginning to fall. "The dog pens all closed?" I asked Daniel, following him inside and shutting the door. "Yeah." He said, tossing his soccer ball to the side.
"Looks like one hell of a storm. I'm going to go turn on the TV and check out the weather channel." Darren said, making his way out of the kitchen with Lindsay close at his tail. "Good idea." Daniel and I said together and followed them.
    In the dining room, the windows are floor to ceiling and gave a perfect view of the storm to come. I stopped to observe and Daniel stopped beside me. Something about the way he was acting and standing told me he was uneasy about this. Typical Daniel. Always aware. That's one of the things I loved so much about him. Always the logical thinker and always a quick learner and thinker.
    Without a word he turned and walked into the living room, sitting down on the couch to watch the weather channel. But I didn't need a weather channel. Of course I didn't. Who did? Instinct told me enough, and my instinct gave me the sickening satisfaction that something bad was about to happen, something unforgettable.


"Heading northwest, sweeping through the Midwest is a big line of thunderstorms. This one could be bad folks. You are advised to stay in your homes, shut your windows, and stay away from glass, and always keep next to the cellar." No one had to tell Daniel twice. Before the weatherman could finish he was up and about, locking, securing, checking all windows. "What about the dogs?" I asked, suddenly worrying about our Labrador puppies and Rottweighler. They hadn't occurred to Daniel. "I'll go get them." Darren volunteered, getting up and rushing out the back door.
In less than twenty minutes the storm had traveled ten miles, and now seemed to brew idly over our house. Daniel went to the back door and looked out. His face twisted in worry, and without hesitation he opened the door and went after Darren. Lindsay and I stayed inside, unsure of what to do.
Suddenly Lindsay turned to me. "You know Meg, this is kind of exciting, I've never been in a tornado before." At the very word my heart dropped and my throat tightened. I knew it was a possibility but it had never really sunk in, the danger of it all. And she was calling it exciting. Knowing I would blow up in a furious rage if I opened my mouth, I kept quiet, watching blankly as Daniel and Darren struggled in a panic to get the dogs to the house.
As they got nearer, I turned and rushed for the basement, darted down the stairs, unlocked the basement door and ushered them in, slamming the door behind me. "What's it like outside?" Lindsay asked, who had followed me without my knowing. "Deadly quiet, even the rain makes no sound." Daniel gasped, doubling over with his hands on his knees.
"So why did you rush?" She asked. Daniel stood up and looked at her, and then at me. "Well, would you like them to have taken their time? I'm sure the winds wouldn't have blown them across the yard that hard." I retorted, for some reason I felt like being a bitch. "But the wind..." Lindsay stopped short and listened. We all did. Outside the wind whistled around the corners of the house, enveloping us and shaking the frame. Inside I shivered. Daniel was clearly frightened.
"I'm no expert, but maybe it's best if we stay down here." Darren whispered and we were quick to agree. But suddenly, a spark jumped in me. A long forgotten instinct came alive, adrenaline powered my cold limps. A mischievous smile crossed my face. Lindsay looked at me uneasily. "Meg..." She seemed almost frightened. "I'm going to follow this fucker." I smiled even more brightly, my eyes coming alive with their own flames.
Daniel looked at me, mouth wide open. "Like hell you will." He whispered. And then his voice grew more shrill. "Meg, no!" In two quick strides he had a hold of my shoulders and was looking me directly in the eye. But I didn't see him, or the room. I only saw me, alone, camera in hand, at an opportunity few get. I was a storm chaser, a dare devil at heart. And this was bringing it all to the surface, bubbling in my veins as if I were immortal.
"Oh yes, I am." And with that, I was out of Daniel's grip and up the basement stairs, arms swinging at sides, heart thumping excitedly. There were heavy footsteps behind me, but I didn't care. This was my chance. I found the video camera on the top shelf of the closet. Before shutting the door I grabbed my rain coat and turned to walk out the door. But before I could make it, Daniel grabbed hold of my arm and yanked me around to face him.
"Have you gone mad!" He demanded. I only smiled at him, like any crazy person would. "This is my chance Daniel!" I shrieked happily, but I knew deep down that there was no use explaining, for he could never really understand. His angry face softened. "Don't go Meg, please." All fury was gone, and replaced by fright. He truly look scared.
"What would I do without you?" He asked quietly, the rims of his eyes reddening, his pupils glazing over. "I'll be back. I promise." I stopped smiling long enough to lean forward and kiss him gently. When I tried to pull away, he pulled me back and wrapped his arms around me, so that our hearts beat together, his breath was mine. It seemed he would never let go.
Finally I pulled away and looked at him. "I promise." I whispered, and touched his cheek. He knew there was no stopping me, this was my mission. Quickly patting my pocket I checked for my cell phone and, realizing I was equipped, headed out the door, glancing back only once to see Lindsay and Darren a few feet away, holding each other in terror. "If anything happens, call me. If it grows silent again, get to the basement." And with that I was out the door and into my black Dodge Ram.



    The road wasn't easy. The rain had made the back road muddy, and the wind smacked my vehicle back and forth across the road. But to me it was all exciting. With one eye to the sky and one ear to the radio I drove on, to the blackest center of the storm, which was about five miles south west of our house. "The National Weather Center has issued a sever thunderstorm warning..." They were way behind. Always behind. There was definite, unmistakable action in these black and rolling clouds. Everywhere there was rotation, some quick and steady, some dissipating, some forming cones.
    My first chance and spotting one was to the East, a rugged little funnel, rapidly making it's way towards the ground over a grassy, deserted field that stretched beyond eye's view. On the edge of the field was the road, and on the other side of that, forestry. Pulling the truck to the side of the road, I stepped out into the cold, stinging rain, feeling the wind bite at my bare hands, the rain splash up and into my face. I was on the wrong side. I couldn't get a view of shit from here.
    Realizing this as I got back in the truck, I looked out the right window and watched the funnel descend, lick the ground, ascend, and then descend again. Suddenly and idea came to me. All I had to do was travel west to get a good view. But this road continued going north, so I would for sure lose the tornado. So...
    Jumping back in the truck and tossing the camera in the seat I shifted and gunned the engine, whipping the truck to the right and heard the dirt and grass under my tires as I floored it across the field, windshield wipers darting back and forth but not helping any, the wind picked up and throwing it's might at me, as it tried to stop me from crossing the field. My mind was blank. If I thought about what I was doing, I was freeze and stop right in the path of the tornado.
    So I continued across the field, thrashing about because there were no safety restraints on me, praying that the tornado not pick up speed. But it did. And it didn't bother me. For it shifted from east to north, and was moving away from me. After a few minutes I was out of the rain, just as if I'd stepped into another world, and I could see, see the tornado and the midnight blue coat of rain behind it that'd I'd just drove out of.
    Feeling proud I stepped out and walked around my truck, opened the door and took my camera out. For a second or two I fumbled impatiently, trying to get the thing to turn on. Finally the red button flashed and I stepped back a step or two and began my introduction to the tape, filming my chase vehicle, the one that had ever so proudly got me across the field, and then I turned around to film one of nature's beauties.
    I nearly dropped the camera as I realized something. The tornado was no longer heading North. The bastard had switched. It was now heading right for me, barreling along at about eighty miles an hour, seemingly grinning as if to say 'Ha ha I caught you, and you thought you had out smarted me'. Trying not to panic but doing so anyway, I spun around, flew to my door, jerked it open, threw my camera to the side, and looked up just in time to see a tree limb go sailing by my windshield.
    The tornado was less than a mile away, the black clouds swirling above, the rain tossing about, the now considerably sized tornado heading for what could have been a toy truck in the middle of no where.
    And then something even more terrible happened. My engine died and refused to start. Frantically I turned the key and stomped the gas pedal, only to hear it rev and then die. To my right I could see my end, coming closer and closer every second. One last time I jerked the key forward, slammed my foot on the gas pedal, heard the engine roar to life and then gunned it back across the field, this time with only fear and a promise to my husband in my mind.
    This was not so fun. Every foot I came closer to the road, the tornado cut the distance between me and it into thirds. There was no way I could make it. Where would I go? What if I ran out of gas? Time was closing in on me and I raced a long, seeing the forest in the distance, watching the beast in my side mirrors, watched as the once scrawny thing, multiply into something large and undefeatable.
    The road was close now, about a hundred yards away. Hope began to rise. And then my tires hit the mud of the road and relief flooded through me, but not for long. I wasn't out of the woods yet. Oh no, for as I began to head north, the thing switched paths again, and began to follow me. I couldn't believe it, yet I wasn't shocked. Traveling the road wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. There were holes and mud everywhere, making it difficult to steer. Twice I sent the truck into a 360, and then making a rut as I spun off again. There was a town, a small town, two miles from here. If I could only make it...
    The air conditioner froze my wet cloths to my skin, froze my hands and made my teeth chatter. I was wearing down, as if the storm were taking in my energy. I felt myself weaken, my hands slide down, my eyes grow heavy, my mind drift. My foot loosened on the accelerator. And then Daniel's face came back to me. That poor, pitiful little face, filled with hurt that his wife was abandoning at a time like this.
    Again I pushed the accelerator down to the floor, and felt the truck beneath me spin and skip on the mud below. Releasing a little of the pressure I considered my position. Now one mile from town, I had a chance.
    And then everything in the world seemed to stop. The barreling beast behind me seemed to quiet. But not really. A ditch in the road. I jerked the steering wheel to the left but it was to late. My back tires slid down side ways and sunk into the sticky, knee deep mud. I now faced the monstrous beast ahead of me.
    Sneering uncontrollably it raced at me, growing with all it's debris, black and thick, against my tiny and helpless truck. I tried four wheel drive but it was no use. I was stuck for good. And the tornado would not stop until I was dead.


    And so I sat in my truck, hands gripped to the steering wheel, watching it come at me, thinking of my loved ones, thinking of my promise to Daniel and how I'd lied to him. Thinking about how much I loved him, and how much I loved Lindsay and Darren. How could I let them down by just giving up?
    And then something clicked. If I was going to die, I wasn't going down without a fight. The stupefied mode left and I opened my door, jumped out of my truck and scrambled up the muddy ditch, cutting my hands on the rocks and banging my knees up. Once on my feet I darted to the right and ran for the woods, ran as fast as my lead legs would carry me, ran until my legs went limp and my heart and chest burned, ran until my vision was blurred by the wind and debris swirling around me.
    And I fell. Fell down on the ground, hooked my arms around a tree, and prayed to the higher powers if they existed. The leaves around me swirled, the rain washed over me, drenched me, left me cold and shivering. My head was buried between my arms, my legs sprawled out, my mind numb as I felt the winds pick my up by my feet and lift my up, trying to pull me into the black sky. There was a scrape of metal as my truck was devoured, felt the limbs and dirt drove into my skin as I was whipped up and down like a rag doll, helpless to this devil of a thing.
    A branch hit my shoulder, making me release my grip on the tree in pain. The winds were quick to get me and soon I was airborne, flying through the blackness of the storm, not knowing how or where I was going to die. Suddenly I felt myself fall, fall rapidly, and I hid the ground with a skidding thump, felt my other shoulder jam, my head jerk, and then all lay still and all went black.


When I awoke, the first thing I noticed was the smell of the air, the smell of wet dirt, and more strongly, the smell of pine. The scent invaded my nostrils, choked me, made me gag and gasp for air. I hated the smell. But I was alive. Was this real?
    The pain in my shoulders and ribs told me so. Yes, I was alive, but for how long? I tried to move, but pain kept me still. Every part of my body hurt, my coat was soaked and heavy, my cloths stuck to my skin. There was no blood, but I didn't know about internal bleeding. But I was alive. I had made it after all.
    This time I gritted my teeth and using my arms, pushed myself up, feeling the pain everywhere intensify, feeling my shoulders were definitely out of place, and a couple of ribs were broken. But town was less than a mile away. I would walk.
    I thought of my truck and looked around in the near darkness. No where was it to be seen. And then I remembered, the tornado. All was silent, not even the rustle of the trees. And it had picked up my truck and carried it away. That didn't matter, I had to get to town, had to find someone to take me back to Daniel. I had to see if they were okay.
    Slowly I began limping straight ahead. I had no idea where the tornado had thrown me, but surely it hadn't been far. I was looking for the road. If I found the road I'd be all right. How much time had passed, I wasn't sure. Maybe a few minutes, maybe a few hours.
    It had stopped drizzling now, but the mist still clung to my face, stayed lightly on my mud clotted hair. The soft crunch of my feet on the leaves, the hiss of the remaining rain on the trees, that was all I could hear. And the thumping of my own heart. Surprisingly enough, I wasn't scared. Maybe it was the remaining shock, maybe I was braver than I ever thought. Or maybe it was the thoughts of Darren and Daniel and Lindsay, that occupied my mind so, so that nothing else mattered.
    And then I was out of the woods. My heavy and soaked boots sunk into something soft, mud. I found the road. Surprisingly, there was a moon tonight. Not a cloud in the sky, but the same old normal sky, the one I knew, the one with countless twinkling innocent stars, the ones I had admired for so long.
    Yet tonight I hated the sky. Why was it to look like this? Like nothing had ever happened? Why was it so innocent now? I staggered along bitterly, on the muddy path, taking one painful step after another, hunched over with my right arm tucked into my stomach, and the other hanging loosely at my side. Ahead there was nothing but darkness, and field to the right, and trees to the left.
    Somewhere off in the distance a wolf howled, an owl screeched. But I didn't hear anything. All I heard was the soft rustling of the trees, I was alone yet I was surrounded, I was alive yet I was dead. I was in pain but I was numb. Blindly I fell to the side of the road, felt myself collapse, rolled over, and closed my eyes. I was comfortable here. I waited.


    I opened my eyes and I was in my own room. The sun was shining full and bright, everything was a soft cream color, all pain was gone as I got up out of bed and walked around, a bright, sunny smile on my face.
    Lindsay entered the room and looked at me. I tried to give her a friendly hi, but I found that I could not speak. She sat on my bed and smiled, folding her hands in her lap, eyes always on me. She was happy.
    And yet there was something wrong. I could not move. I could not hug her. I could not talk. In my mind I was frantic, but physically nothing changed. Inside me was like a caged animal, screaming, clawing, trying desperately to get out. And Lindsay never changed.
    My eyes snapped open, everything was blank. I was not in my room, I was still lying helplessly along the side of the road. I was not warm, I was shivering. But one thing remained the same. The caged animal inside of me was still there.
    Hours had passed, the full moon was directly above me now. Nothing made sense. What day was it anyway? Suddenly there was a bright light in my eyes. A bright, warm light that made me relax and let go. Was I dying? I imagined and tried to prepare for afterlife.
    But minutes passed and nothing happened. "Miss are you okay?" Someone was asking me. Who the hell was it? The light was still there. "Damn it, turn off them headlights! You'll blind us all!"
    And then the soft, warm light was gone, but I was not left alone. "Miss?" Came a husky voice with a soft Midwestern accent. To tired to answer, I grunted and tried to move, but my body was like lead. "Hey man, get over here, she's alive!" I tried looking around, but pain kept me still.
    "Miss what's your name?" A different voice asked. Again I grunted. "Oh shut up and load her into the back seat of the truck." A third voice commanded. "And what if she's hurt?" "And what if we leave her here?" There was no reply, only a rustling sound and then hands underneath me, as I felt my body being lifted, felt my ribs grind together, my shoulders shift and pop.
    Slowly I opened my mouth and moaned. I wanted to tell them to put me down and leave me here, but I could say nothing. Carefully I was eased into a warm area, onto a soft seat. The warmth enveloped me, tended my wet cloths, warmed my bones, cast me into a deep sleep in which I enjoyed more than anything I ever had.


    I awoke to complete kayos. Lying on a stretcher, in a pitched tent, among hundreds of other people, some hurt and on stretchers the same as I, some wandering around sipping coffee and tea, and some just plain sitting and staring, the shock never quite letting them go. Not one face was familiar. Not one voice sounded comforting.
    I could pick up bits and pieces of conversation all around me, things horrible like, "Casey family all dead...whole town in complete ruins...vehicles everywhere...Blainsville hit the worst..." My heart skipped and plunged. Blainsville. Daniel. Lindsay. Darren. Home. Gone. For a moment everything vanished. The noise was silenced, time was frozen, as my mouth went dry and my stomach heaved uncontrollably.
    I left them, and they could be gone. My dogs, my house, my husband, my best friend. How were they? I had to find out. But how? With broken ribs and out of place shoulders it was near impossible. Or not.
    In their hurry, they, whoever they was, had left me unstrapped to my stretcher. Quickly I sat up, feeling a surge of sickness as the grinding feeling in my ribs returned, as pain shot through my entire chest, as my back contorted with shoulder pain.
    But none of it mattered. What mattered was getting to Lindsay. And Darren. And Daniel. Hopping off the stretcher I tossed the cotton blanket aside, then thought the better and picked it up and handed it to an elderly couple sitting adjacent to me, who welcomed the warmth and thanked me whole heartedly.
    This place was a complete zoo. Making it to the edge of the tent was difficult, but I made it. Where was I anyway? A young woman walked by me, in a hurry to get somewhere. Quickly I tapped her on the shoulder. "Miss, what town is this exactly?" I asked. She gave me a dirty look and snorted. "Bloomfield." She spat and stomped off, acting like she was the important one of the bunch. Bloomfield. Twenty miles from home. Exactly how far had this monster gone?
    I'd have to find a ride. And find one quick. The roads were busy with people, fire trucks, ambulances, police cars and vehicles as people came in and out of town. There was a truck exiting the parking lot, in which the tent was set up.
    I ran to his window. "Excuse me sir, where are you going?" He gave me a disgusted look and then shot back, "Don't tell me what to do missy, I think I know what I'm doin'!" I hadn't meant for it to come out that way, but people can be so cold. He sped off, leaving tire marks on the pavement, and almost ran over two pedestrians. "You sure know what to do in an emergency." I mumbled after him.
    Feeling helpless I trudged off, head down, shoulders forward, knees bent. "Scuse me lassy, you be goin' somewhere?" I turned in the direction of the voice. "Huh?" I asked, not seeing anyone. "Over 'ere! I heard you talkin' to that guy, and I was wonderin' if maybe I could be of some service to ya." There was a middle aged man, sitting in an old Ford pick up truck, waving at me, smiling to reveal a missing front tooth.
    This man was strange to me, yet I felt I could deal with it. "Sure! I'm going to Blainsville, if it's not to much trouble." The man grinned. "Just headin' there meself. Hop in young lass. I'll getcha there lickety split no doubt about that." Without another word I carefully pulled myself up into his truck, shut the door carefully and sat rigid as possible, trying to ignore the grinding in my stomach.
    The man looked at me with concern. "You okay there lass? You look like yous in a lotta pain..." I raised my hand to wave it off and did my best to smile. "Just tired." I muttered. He shrugged and shifted the stick, and we slowly began to inch forward through the crowd. On every side there was people, children with longing eyes as they stared at us through the windows. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on something else.
    The man asked where I lived. I muttered my address and quick instructions on how to get there. We were out of the crowd now, the truck shifted as he turned onto the main highway and began to drive off into the darkness.
    "So, you gots a fella to get home to?" With any other person, in any other situation, I probably would have snorted a 'None of your business' but I couldn't be terrible to this kind man who had willingly picked up a strange woman to do her a favor in which she could never return. So, I nodded. He smiled understandingly.
    "I had a wife once, but she be gone, gone, gone, didn't like me much so wents to the lawyer and gots her some papers and we ain't married no more." "Oh, that's to bad, I'm sorry." I tried to put as much feeling into the words and I could, but I was so exhausted, and his truck was so warm. He nodded.
"You just lie back an' rest an' we'll be there in no time."
    Groggily I nodded and shifted a little, but was still very uncomfortable. The feeling of sickness was dwelling, as my stomach rolled and twisted, with lack of food and water.


    The drive home was quicker than I'd expected. Maybe because I was in a dreamy daze on the way there. In fact, it took the guy a couple of shakes to get me to open my eyes and start responding. "Miss, is this yer house?" Feeling sore I slumped forward in my seat and peered out the dusty window.
    Naturally my ribs poked and grinded, and the sickness was all over me again. But this time the sickness did not come from the feeling of my ribs, It came from the notion that this was my home, or what was left of it. The site laid before me was almost unrecognizable.
    The front porch was completely gone, with only a few pieces of wood left behind as proof that it has actually once existed. That porch. The one Daniel and I had sat on only hours before. The shutters that were once beautifully painted, now lay shabby and lifeless on their hinges, revealing broken windows and long strips of chipped paint. The roof was gone and lay in pieces all around the house. Personal items such as clothing and bed sheets lay about, the bed I had slept in that morning had been picked up and carried across the yard, and laid near the woods to my right.
    My dogs. My husband. Where were they? I made no move to get out of the truck, only stared through that damned windshield, stared at the horror before me, barely taking notice that the clouds overhead once again rolled tormentingly with cracks of lightning darting around the sky.
    "I don' believe you gots to worry, see that red x up 'ere? That means that the police already been by and gots the survivors." My heart sparked with faith. Maybe they all weren't dead after all! I opened my mouth to speak but once again he knew what was on my mind.
    "Only 'bouts three miles to the shelter. We'll find 'em there." Again I sat back in my seat, closed my eyes, and tried not to think of our beautiful home which now lay in ruins. The man carefully backed his truck out of our driveway, avoiding the broken mirrors and glass and furniture than lay about.
    "I never did ask you what your name was." I spoke quietly, feeling as if I would throw up if I spoke louder. "Just call me Joe." He said and grinned. Somehow his smile was comforting in all that had happened, and once again I passed into a groggy stage on the short trip to the shelter.


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