Thunder cracked in the sky. Rumbling of clouds shifting violently, plowing in towards eachother sending vibrations through the atmosphere, shaking the house, and my bed. The wind howled along side the waves of rain that tumbled from the sky and on to all sides of the house. A flash of light illuminates the walls of my room and blinks to darkness as the power cuts completely off just as another crack of thunder quakes throughout the house. I pull my heavy comforter tight around me like a cocoon to settle my trembling.

Dad came in not too long ago to reassure me that everything was fine. It’s just a storm. He pat my head urged me to sleep through it. I’ve never been in a storm this big before. Another flash of light followed by a crack and I scream in to my pillow. The wind grows louder and stronger, as if it will pick our house right up and toss us miles away. My dad lied. Something is wrong.

Suddenly my parents door opens and my momma steps out with the cat in one arm, and a lantern in the other. My dad following right after her as she runs by my door, “come on baby we’re going to the basement, hurry now we don’t have much time left”. I run to my dad and he scoops me up as we rush to the basement. The house shakes and quivers as the wind roars, I can’t hear a thing. Only the scream of the storm mingling with mine around our home. Dad holds me tight, my head tucked under him as I cling my hands to my ears to stop the sound. Minutes feel like hours.

Just as suddenly as it started, it stops. Dead silence is broken with a soft. “Meow”. Dads arms loosen around me and I look up. Mommas holding the cat and clinging to dads arm. She scratches the cats head.

“Think it’s over?” She asked my dad. He nods and offers to go check. Momma grabs me and I willingly sit in her arms and pet the cat to soothe my fear. We watch silently as dad creeps up the stairs, avoiding what debris was left on the stairs from the storm.

“Fern, we lost half the house” he shouts a sob from the top of the stairs. My mom holds me tight and dual carries me and the cat. She tip toes around the debris and we see the aftermath, half our home was untouched the rest was gone, and in front of us was a field of debris and rubble, and a large tornado, miles away now, traveling the opposite direction leaving a trail in its wake.