The Trip to Raptor Bluff by Annie O'Haegan

spoken to your father so he knows we are in Hammer Mountain Park…”  The barrage of questions that flew at him forced him to hold up his hands and demand calm.  “Listen to me, all of you.  Joshua knows everyone is OK, and is seeking out your families at this very moment.  He and I have agreed to talk again tomorrow morning, at which time he should be able to tell me how your families are.  I’ll pass the news on to you as soon as I get it.”  Once again he held up his hands to quell the erupting questions.  “Listen up, OK?  I mean it.  Just stay quiet until I finish.”  When the group was finally quiet again he said, “Joshua and I also agreed to limit our calls to one short conversation a day since we don’t have a phone charger.  Unless there is an emergency, we do not turn on the phone except for my one morning call to Joshua.” He scanned the faces around him and was pleasantly surprised to see Lucy nodding in agreement; he was afraid she would demand the phone to keep for herself.  “You need to know that the earthquake originated from the ocean floor and hit the whole Pacific Northwest.  The entire coast got quakes and tsunamis.  Cleardon City was hit, but keep in mind that we have a good tsunami warning system and there was plenty of time for evacuation.  Remember, our city got the highest rankings in the Pacific Northwest for earthquake and tsunami preparedness.” 
    Rick answered the myriad questions as best he could, and then settled by the fire in the space Brenda had saved for him.  For the next few minutes, the solemn group ate their meager dinners in relative quiet.  Some spoke softly among themselves while others stayed lost in their own thoughts.  The teens were calm, and Rick gave Brenda full credit for that.  By organizing a simple meal, and providing a warm fire and a dry place to sleep, she had given them the sense of security they so desperately needed.
    “Did Joshua say if Ron is OK?” wept Andrea.  She was the only person in the group who had cried nonstop throughout the afternoon.
    “Rick just told you he didn’t know, Andrea,” snapped Lucy.  “We’ll find out in the morning.” 
    Andrea, obviously stung by her idol’s sharp words, covered her mouth with her hands and cried harder.
    “Get a grip, Andrea,” whispered Brenda, who was sitting beside her.  “And cool it on the wine.  We have enough going on without your drunken blubbering.  You are upsetting the kids.”
    “Fuck you , Brenda!” bellowed Andrea. She shoved Brenda so hard that she fell into Shelly, who bounded to her feet and began to cry.  The remaining teens cut eyes at each other and squirmed nervously.
    Lucy walked up behind Andrea and bent over her shoulder to whisper, “Cut the drama!  Now!  Otherwise, go back to your rock and stay there.  I mean it, Andrea.  We don’t need this right now!”  She picked up the box of wine that Andrea had placed on the grass behind her and carried it several yards away.  If full view of everyone, she held the spout open and let the wine drain into the ground.  Andrea watched submissively as her shoulders heaved. At least half of the teens had begun to cry with fear for their own families, and Brenda and Rick did their best to soothe them.  Within a few minutes, the group was quiet again except for occasional sobs coming from Andrea.
    “We are sleeping by the fire tonight, on top of these tarps,” said the exhausted looking Brenda.  “It will be tight but we can share body heat.  Go and get your warmest clothes from your bags so we can settle down for the night.  Bring something to use as a pillow, too. We have a big day tomorrow.” 
    Andrea waited until most of the teens were beyond hearing distance before she moaned, “I hope Ron is OK.  His job is right in the low-lying area of Cleardon City and he was at work today!  I’m so afraid that he didn’t get out in time!  Even if the tsunami warning sounded, he would have had to