purpose again, once things got back to normal, so he slipped it back in his pocket and turned his anger to something else. Kicking a rock as hard as he could, it flew and hit a tree stump a few yards away. How in the hell could this have happened? He had to keep a calm head and think about his next steps – getting to Ryan, Cecilia, and his grandson was important, and along the way, he could check on neighbors.
The silence was so loud – where was everyone, and what would they do if another storm came through?
He needed a horse. With no signs of human life anywhere, what were the chances of actually finding one? They were smarter when it came to weather. That’s how Darryl usually knew the bad stuff was coming – he’d just watch the pasture, and if the horses were acting strange, it was a good indication they were in for something. But this time, it had caught everyone off guard. Did that include the livestock?
He walked toward the back pasture where he kept them. Only a few pieces of wood stuck out of the ground where the barn had been. There were no wildlife, cows, horses, or anything. A worried feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He was concerned for everyone, but especially his son and family. It had been over a week since he had spoken to Ryan, and he regretted that even though they lived close to each other, they rarely got together.
He had no supplies and food. There was a faucet that had survived only because the plumbing was deep in the ground, and he cupped his hands, sipping water before it slipped between his fingers. Patting his face, he washed the dirt and grit on his skin and it felt rejuvenating. He needed to find something to put water in, especially if he was going to walk toward Ryan’s place. With the changes in weather, it was possible he could run into every anomaly possible. Extreme heat, more severe thunderstorms, and even snow. He couldn’t take it lightly, especially since they were transitioning from winter to spring. There was always the chance of something new, and Darryl shook his head, trying to keep a positive attitude.
Maybe the worst was over. Maybe the atmosphere was cleared out and the sun would show. For now, it was dark and ominous, and he needed a horse and canteen. He had to get moving, for the sake of his livelihood and for the sake of his son’s family. They needed to stick together.
His next big decision was whether he needed to continue to look for a horse, or if he needed to channel his energy toward walking. His horses were good about staying close to the house, and with no sign of them in the field, the chances of them showing back up were slim.
Going back into the cellar, he steadied himself. The hole was compromised before the weather, so he had to be careful that it didn’t finish caving in. He had moved most of his supplies out and to the barn, but he rummaged just in case – maybe he left something behind that would hold water.
In a far cabinet, buried under a mound of dirt, he found a canteen. He was so thrilled that he yelled out in joy. He knew he had one somewhere, and there it was, ready to be picked out for use. It was almost too convenient, but Darryl wasn’t going to question the circumstance. Pulling it out, he dusted it on his jeans, and several dirt clods rolled from the ceiling.
The cellar shook like an earthquake, the weak wooden beams moaning from more force from the dirt surrounding it. Darryl was frozen for a second, watching streams of dirt and mud shoot from above, and finally, he got his feet to move. Sprinting to the steps, he took them up to ground level, moving faster than he ever had in his entire life. The earth imploded behind each step he took, seconds away from swallowing him inside the completely destroyed cellar.
When he was back on solid ground, he turned to look at the destruction. The cellar was nothing more than a large hole, dust floating upward. He had barely shifted the mound of dirt on the inside, and it
The silence was so loud – where was everyone, and what would they do if another storm came through?
He needed a horse. With no signs of human life anywhere, what were the chances of actually finding one? They were smarter when it came to weather. That’s how Darryl usually knew the bad stuff was coming – he’d just watch the pasture, and if the horses were acting strange, it was a good indication they were in for something. But this time, it had caught everyone off guard. Did that include the livestock?
He walked toward the back pasture where he kept them. Only a few pieces of wood stuck out of the ground where the barn had been. There were no wildlife, cows, horses, or anything. A worried feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He was concerned for everyone, but especially his son and family. It had been over a week since he had spoken to Ryan, and he regretted that even though they lived close to each other, they rarely got together.
He had no supplies and food. There was a faucet that had survived only because the plumbing was deep in the ground, and he cupped his hands, sipping water before it slipped between his fingers. Patting his face, he washed the dirt and grit on his skin and it felt rejuvenating. He needed to find something to put water in, especially if he was going to walk toward Ryan’s place. With the changes in weather, it was possible he could run into every anomaly possible. Extreme heat, more severe thunderstorms, and even snow. He couldn’t take it lightly, especially since they were transitioning from winter to spring. There was always the chance of something new, and Darryl shook his head, trying to keep a positive attitude.
Maybe the worst was over. Maybe the atmosphere was cleared out and the sun would show. For now, it was dark and ominous, and he needed a horse and canteen. He had to get moving, for the sake of his livelihood and for the sake of his son’s family. They needed to stick together.
His next big decision was whether he needed to continue to look for a horse, or if he needed to channel his energy toward walking. His horses were good about staying close to the house, and with no sign of them in the field, the chances of them showing back up were slim.
Going back into the cellar, he steadied himself. The hole was compromised before the weather, so he had to be careful that it didn’t finish caving in. He had moved most of his supplies out and to the barn, but he rummaged just in case – maybe he left something behind that would hold water.
In a far cabinet, buried under a mound of dirt, he found a canteen. He was so thrilled that he yelled out in joy. He knew he had one somewhere, and there it was, ready to be picked out for use. It was almost too convenient, but Darryl wasn’t going to question the circumstance. Pulling it out, he dusted it on his jeans, and several dirt clods rolled from the ceiling.
The cellar shook like an earthquake, the weak wooden beams moaning from more force from the dirt surrounding it. Darryl was frozen for a second, watching streams of dirt and mud shoot from above, and finally, he got his feet to move. Sprinting to the steps, he took them up to ground level, moving faster than he ever had in his entire life. The earth imploded behind each step he took, seconds away from swallowing him inside the completely destroyed cellar.
When he was back on solid ground, he turned to look at the destruction. The cellar was nothing more than a large hole, dust floating upward. He had barely shifted the mound of dirt on the inside, and it
Similar Books
