dimly-lit storeroom. “Going natural with a lot of it.”
“Yeah. Miranda is into canning and extracting and all that. It’s really satisfying.”
“I bet.”
“How’s your stockpile?”
“It’s good. I’ve been working on making more space for water, since that’s tricky to store in large amounts, y’know? I’m thinking of making something underground, like a trap door situation.”
Danny found the jar he was looking for. The flour was kept in a large glass container, one of those old-fashioned kinds with the knobby top, and labeled with masking tape.
“You can take the jar, too,” Danny offered. “We’ve got lots.”
“Thanks! You’re a real pal.”
Danny walked Marty back to the door and waved at him as he crossed the street. Hunter and Jesse were still running around outside, chasing each other with pool noodles they used as swords. They had seen them in the store and insisted on having one each; despite the fact the family did not have a pool. Danny watched them for a few moments, smiling, before returning indoors. He needed a sandwich. While Danny spread mayonnaise on Miranda’s homemade pumpernickel bread and hummed, the Buckley’s home shook up from its foundations to its roof. Six hours had been triggered.
2.
“Hey, hon? Did you see the forecast for today?”
Danny looked up at his wife, mouth full of sandwich, and shook his head.
“Really windy. Possible tornado warnings.”
Miranda’s brow was furrowed. She sat beside Danny with the newspaper in her hand. She had recently painted her nails a pale sea-green and stretched her fingers out to avoid smudges.
“It is a little breezy outside,” Danny remarked. “Doesn’t look too bad yet.”
“Let’s just keep an eye on it.”
The couple sat in silence while Miranda waited for her nails to dry and Danny finished his sandwich. As he chewed, he kept his ear perked, and sure enough, the wind was picking up. He took his plate to the sink and went to the front door. Jesse and Hunter were playing airplane, and had their arms stretched out to catch the wind, their hair flying back. Danny was startled by the strength of the wind and looked to the trees. Their branches were stretched out like the boys’ arms, the leaves straining to keep hold. The sky was getting darker as well, especially in the north. Danny frowned at the swelling clouds.
“Come inside, boys!” he called. “It’s too windy out here!”
“Whee!” Jesse screamed. “Look, Dad! We’re flying!”
“That’s great, man! Fly on inside, ok?”
The boys circled in for a landing and then came running inside the house, making whooshing noises. Danny took another look at the trees before closing the door. He thought he could feel some faint drops of rain.
“I’m going to look and see what the TV is saying, Miranda!” he called.
“Ok!”
Danny switched on the weather channel and rested his elbows against the back of the couch. He could hear Jesse and Hunter in the kitchen, chattering to their mom as she made them both sandwiches. The weatherman was pointing to a map of the country, showing strong winds and storms.
“There was an earthquake on the Emerald Coast,” he added. “And sources down there hypothesize possible hurricanes or a tsunami as a result.”
Danny’s heart skipped a beat. His sister was there.
“Yeah. Miranda is into canning and extracting and all that. It’s really satisfying.”
“I bet.”
“How’s your stockpile?”
“It’s good. I’ve been working on making more space for water, since that’s tricky to store in large amounts, y’know? I’m thinking of making something underground, like a trap door situation.”
Danny found the jar he was looking for. The flour was kept in a large glass container, one of those old-fashioned kinds with the knobby top, and labeled with masking tape.
“You can take the jar, too,” Danny offered. “We’ve got lots.”
“Thanks! You’re a real pal.”
Danny walked Marty back to the door and waved at him as he crossed the street. Hunter and Jesse were still running around outside, chasing each other with pool noodles they used as swords. They had seen them in the store and insisted on having one each; despite the fact the family did not have a pool. Danny watched them for a few moments, smiling, before returning indoors. He needed a sandwich. While Danny spread mayonnaise on Miranda’s homemade pumpernickel bread and hummed, the Buckley’s home shook up from its foundations to its roof. Six hours had been triggered.
2.
“Hey, hon? Did you see the forecast for today?”
Danny looked up at his wife, mouth full of sandwich, and shook his head.
“Really windy. Possible tornado warnings.”
Miranda’s brow was furrowed. She sat beside Danny with the newspaper in her hand. She had recently painted her nails a pale sea-green and stretched her fingers out to avoid smudges.
“It is a little breezy outside,” Danny remarked. “Doesn’t look too bad yet.”
“Let’s just keep an eye on it.”
The couple sat in silence while Miranda waited for her nails to dry and Danny finished his sandwich. As he chewed, he kept his ear perked, and sure enough, the wind was picking up. He took his plate to the sink and went to the front door. Jesse and Hunter were playing airplane, and had their arms stretched out to catch the wind, their hair flying back. Danny was startled by the strength of the wind and looked to the trees. Their branches were stretched out like the boys’ arms, the leaves straining to keep hold. The sky was getting darker as well, especially in the north. Danny frowned at the swelling clouds.
“Come inside, boys!” he called. “It’s too windy out here!”
“Whee!” Jesse screamed. “Look, Dad! We’re flying!”
“That’s great, man! Fly on inside, ok?”
The boys circled in for a landing and then came running inside the house, making whooshing noises. Danny took another look at the trees before closing the door. He thought he could feel some faint drops of rain.
“I’m going to look and see what the TV is saying, Miranda!” he called.
“Ok!”
Danny switched on the weather channel and rested his elbows against the back of the couch. He could hear Jesse and Hunter in the kitchen, chattering to their mom as she made them both sandwiches. The weatherman was pointing to a map of the country, showing strong winds and storms.
“There was an earthquake on the Emerald Coast,” he added. “And sources down there hypothesize possible hurricanes or a tsunami as a result.”
Danny’s heart skipped a beat. His sister was there.
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