Read Online Force of Nature by Sydney Logan - Free Book Online Page B

of golf balls,
suddenly began to fall. The noise was deafening as pebbles bounced against the
sidewalk.
    “Laura,
look . . . ”
    I glanced toward
the sky, noticing the clouds swirling in the distance. Just then, the city’s
warning system blared, causing goose bumps to erupt on my flesh.
    “It’s a funnel
cloud.” I watched, mesmerized, as the tail slipped down from the blackened sky.
    “I think we need
to get to the basement,” Aiden said, his tone a little more forceful.
    I was like
stone, my eyes transfixed on the twirling mass as it made its way closer to
campus. It wasn’t the first tornado I’d ever seen, but they never failed to
fascinate me. How something so strangely beautiful could be so destructive
always amazed me.
    “Laura, come
on.”
    He tugged my
hand, and just as debris began to fall from the sky, Aiden pulled me inside.
His hand never left mine as we raced through the library and toward the
basement doors, our flashlights glowing in the dimness. The roaring wind, the
booming warning signal, the battering rain and hail . . . it all mixed in this
sickening symphony above our heads and in our ears.
    “Which way?” he
asked.
    I pointed toward
the double doors, and he led us through. We hastily rushed down the stairs,
heading toward the interior part of the basement. Ms. Abbott had always told me
that it was the safest place in the building.
    “There’s the
radio,” I said, pointing toward a dilapidated bookshelf. He reached for it,
fiddling with the knobs until the crackling noise echoed against the concrete
walls. Unless Aiden had his phone, the radio would be our only line of
communication since I’d left my cell in my jacket behind the counter.
    Chloe had been
right. I hadn’t taken this seriously, and because of that, I could very well be
without a way to contact my parents. My dad, a fireman in town, was undoubtedly
working out in the storm. Thankfully, Mom was visiting her sister in Dallas. I
was glad to have one less parent to worry about it.
    Would my dad be
safe?
    Would we ?
    My body began to
tremble.
    “Laura.”
    Aiden’s voice
was just a whisper as he pulled me toward the far corner of the basement. We
stood close, his hand still wrapped in mine.
    “Laura, talk to
me. What are you thinking?”
    I huddled close to
him, letting his warmth soothe my anxiety. The roar of the storm was muted
thanks to the shelter of the basement, but we could still hear the violent
winds.
    “I’m feeling
ashamed of myself. I’m just so used to these storms missing us, and now we’re
down here, and my dad’s out there, and Chloe might not have made it to the
dorm—”
    He brushed my
forehead with his lips and pulled me closer. “Shh. I’m sure she’s fine. And
we’re okay. We have the radio. I have my cell.”
    With one arm
still wrapped around me, he offered me his flashlight and reached into his
pocket. He grimaced as he looked down at his phone. “Okay, so there’s no
service down here, but we’re fine. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
    Not caring that it
was totally inappropriate, I closed my eyes and leaned my head against his
shoulder. Once again, I felt the slight turn of his head and then the gentle
touch of his lips against my temple. I melted against him, letting his scent
and warmth calm me.
    “Come here,”
Aiden said, lowering us down onto the floor and pulling me into his lap. Our
arms wrapped around each other in a protective cocoon. “Hold on to me.”
    People typically
say the sound of a tornado reminds them of a freight train, but to me, it’s
more like a jet.
    Hollow. Deep.
    So deep, it
rattles your bones.
    My heartbeat was
just beginning to return to a somewhat normal rhythm when the roar above us
turned into a deafening growl.
    * * *
    Time could be an
odd thing during a tornado. What felt like an hour can be only minutes, maybe
even seconds, until the eerie silence surrounded you. Once the storm calmed, a
thousand thoughts raced through your mind.
    I’m