Sorry it's so long. Don't be discouraged by length. This is when all the exciting things happen.
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I sat up from my illuminated bed and pulled on a winter coat. The house was colder than it usually was in winter.
I ran down the stairs, my eyes amazed. My family was up and sitting around a gas-lit fire, all waiting to unwrap the multicolored presents under the silver-tip Christmas tree. I smiled at the sight of them sipping hot cocoa and coffee, and, for once, I could honestly say I was happy to see them. Because every other day in our house, the air was filled with constant bickering, then my father’s temper would turn physical, and, finally, I would run out the front door and drive around our small little town until the soft classical music that played in my car calmed me down.
“Good morning Mary!” My sister, Elisabeth, shouted from down on the first floor. I followed the rest of our carpeted stairs to my family. My mother handed me a cocoa mug and gestured for me to sit down next to my sister.
“Are we going to open some presents?” I yelled to the ceiling and tickled my sister.
“Mary, stop!” She shrieked between laughs.
“Well, there’s something we have to talk to you kids about first.” Father sat down his cup and wrapped an arm around my mother’s shoulder.
The worried looks on their faces made me frown. I looked at my sister, but she was bouncing off our cream colored walls with joy at all her presents under the tree.
“There’s something on the news that has been bugging us. We have been trying to hide it from you, since we thought it was a bunch of crap. But, it looks like something might be happening that will disrupt our Christmas…” Father looked at my mother, who opened her mouth to continue.
“There is a storm coming.”
I rolled my eyes, “Are you serious?”
Father held up his hand to stop my mouth. “It’s not just any storm. Scientists have said it’s the effect of global warming. And, we will have to move to the basement at approximately,” he looked at his watch. Yes, the first thing he did when he woke up Christmas morning was put on a watch, “three o’clock. We have six hours.”
My eyes practically shot out of my head. “What?”
“I know, I know. But, if we stay in the basement, we should be safe.”
“That’s crazy! This can’t be possible.” I shook my head at my sister. She was just staring at the little space between my parents heads. I looked through them, also, to see what had caught her interest.
What I saw made me stand. She was looking out the window. Outside, branches and leaves from fallen trees were blowing around. Then, small pieces of wood flew. When they got bigger, one crashed into our front window, breaking it and allowing the cold air to seep inside our home. I screamed as I watched a tornado form a few miles behind the houses across the street.
“It’s starting.” Father said. He ran to the kitchen and grabbed a bag that had been on the floor. My mother went to him and picked up Christmas breakfast, pancakes and bacon. They were screaming at me and Elisabeth, but we were frozen in place.
I looked down at the presents that I would never get to hold. My entire life flashed before me, and I realized how little I had taken advantage of it. All the treats, the newest games and toys, and the top fashions had been given to me since day one. Of course I treated my things well, but I never really thought about what would happen if I didn’t have them, or anything for that matter.
“Mary!” My father grabbed my arm and tried to pull me away, but I shook him off. His tan face and bright eyes flashed between me and the storm that was waiting to kill us all.
I was pulled out of my self-pitying dreams when a branch flew past me and hit something behind. I looked over my shoulder and saw my sister on the ground. My eight year-old sister didn’t deserve this. She was sat up and felt the back of her shoulder. Blood came back when she lifted up her hand. Mother grabbed her and brought her to the basement.
I saw tears flow to my father’s pupils as he tried to pull again. I followed him down into our basement. When I arrived, mother hugged me as if I was almost killed. And when her slender hands stroked my back, all I could think was that we would not survive.
Something had stirred this storm, and it wasn’t going to stop until its mission was fulfilled.
“Oh my God…” Father looked down at the pack and shook his head.
“What?” Mother’s eyes shifted so quickly between father and Elisabeth I thought they might fall from her sockets.
“The first aid kit, it isn’t in here!” He pulled out everything from the back and laid it on the cement floor.
“Well we need that! We can’t take Elisabeth to the hospital!” Mother flung her hands to the sky as if asking God why he was doing this to us.
“Mary!” I heard Elisabeth cry from back in the basement. There was no turning back. I was getting that kit. I was going to try and keep my family alive, even if it meant my death.
I ran from the basement to the living room. The white carpet was already covered in dirty raindrops, and our Christmas tree was on the floor, and we didn’t seem to have a couch anymore. But, some act of a higher power must have held sympathy for me that moment, because the kit was still sitting on our green granite kitchen counter top. I went to grab it, and as I did the wall behind me fell, and I with it. I looked outside and the tornado was about a hundred feet away, tossing things in all directions. I watched as it moved to the right of our house, leaving it unscathed. I felt red liquid flow onto my forehead, and my vision went black.
********
“How did they keep it that secret from you for that long?” Mr. Colton says as he takes out his notebook. He scribbles something down, then waits for me to respond.
“Well, there were many things they did. My father didn’t read the newspaper, so that was easy. He would just throw it away. That week I wasn’t able to visit friends, and they claimed the cable was out.” Their faces turn blank. I think for a minute, and realize how easily I have forgotten that it isn’t 2009 anymore. These people have no idea what cable or television is.
“Cable?” Mr. Bick sat up, suddenly more interested.
“It was something that displayed the past.” I answer. It is partially true, after all.
“Wow. I wish I could have lived back then.” Mr. Bick sits back in his chair, and they both wait for me to continue.
*********
“Hello? Is anyone here?” A light flashed across my eyes. I didn’t recognize his voice. I felt and heard hard steps coming my way. They were clumsy, and seemed to stumble with every other stride.
The events of the day before flashed through my mind, so I was expecting the worst. I quickly hopped to my feet and hid behind a large pile of rubble. I could pick out my living room lamp, large pieces of wood that I assumed to be my roof, and possibly pieces of my favorite blue sweater.
“Why are you hiding?” I heard the deep voice call again. I peeked out from behind the pile. A boy was picking up piles of wood and cloth, looking for something, possibly me. “You can come out. I helped you with your wounds. I’m not bad or anything.” He shined the flashlight on the other side of my pile, and I caught a glimpse of him. He had a tan, round face with dark eyes. His long brown hair stopped above the end of his neck, but never reached his shoulders. His clothes, tan shorts and a white t-shirt, were all torn up, and full of dirt and hoes. They also looked a little bit damp. “I patched up your head.”
I suddenly felt a deep pain at my hair line. I felt the area, and sure enough, there were bandages covering my wound. My spirits lifted, knowing that someone smart was around.
But, I was not worried about him or anyone else but my family. They had to be safe, after all. If I had survived out in the open, they had to be perfectly fine in their shelter.
I crouched down and walked like a mouse along my old floor until I reached the basement door. But, instead of my family’s faces popping out from the depths of my house and smiling at me with joy, I screamed.
“Hello?” The boy ran up behind me and stopped in his tracks. My basement, the place where my family was hiding, was crushed by the three giant trees that used to live in my backyard.
“No! No, no, no, no!” I ran up to the trees and began tearing leaves from its branches. I tried to lift it, but it wouldn’t budge. After minutes of struggling, I fell to the floor and cried like I never had before.
The boy walked up beside me and crouched down. “I lost mine, too.” He said after minutes of stroking my back.
I looked at him through my soaked, red eyes. “Who are you?” I pushed him away and ran to the other side of my destroyed home.
“Someone in the same place as you…” He stood up and walked towards me.
“I-what do we do?” I slumped back onto the ground and covered my face with dirty hands.
“I don’t know. But, I think we should leave here.” He looked around, then back at me. “There are some things you should know…”
