Tornado Warning

by J. R. Tate

  “I guess we won’t be using this car?” Steve asked, leaning over the motor with him.

  “I can probably rig something up, but without my normal tools, I’m not sure I can. If I could get my hands on a wrench and some screwdrivers, I could do a temporary fix that would get us a few miles. I’ll have to check the bearings and crankshaft seals. They aren’t good at keeping stuff out, only in.”

  “I wish I was better help,” Steve said, looking at the sky.

  “You are. The first thing we can do is try and move it farther back away from the river. With the flat tires, it’s going to be tough, but the farther we get it, the better chance of it not getting flooded again. I would never be able to get it to roll by myself.”

  Ryan got back in the driver’s seat and pushed the brake down. Attempting to put the car in neutral, the shifter wouldn’t budge. Pushing down again, he forced it, hoping he didn’t cause more damage to his growing lists of repairs. With the engine being off, it was almost impossible getting it to go, but finally, after several attempts, the gear indicator moved to N.

  Getting out, he stayed by the wheel to help steer it, and Steve pushed against the hood. The ground was muddy so they didn’t make much progress. Ryan pushed as hard as he could, gritting his teeth, partly out of trying to get the car to move, and partly out of frustration. Why wasn’t anything coming easily? All he wanted was one lousy break that would help them progress forward with something!

  Keeping one eye on the sky, he wasn’t willing to give up just yet. With time passing, he might as well try and work on the car. It wasn’t going anywhere and he had to keep hope for something, otherwise, he’d go crazy.

  “Push, Steve! If we could get it out of these muddy ruts, we might gain some traction and get it back.” Ryan pushed as hard as he could, but his feet slipped in the mud and he was unable to gain his own footing.

  Slamming the door shut, he balled his fists and resisted the urge to punch the car. Not like it would matter – the exterior had been bashed in by large hail stones. His fists would cause minimal damage in comparison to what it had already been through.

  Joining Steve in front of the hood, he put his palms on the metal. His heart raced with the approaching storm. He could see the line of rain coming off of the mountains – it was crazy how it looked. Dust kicked up right in front of the wall of precipitation. There was a precise line separating where it was raining and what was in the path. He had seen something like that before while out on storm spotting duty, but nothing as clear and concise as what was happening just a few miles west of where they were. Usually, storms gradually transitioned from nothing to sprinkles, to hard rain. Lately, there was no in between.

  Both men struggled, grunting as they fought the dark, thick soil. The car would move about an inch, and when they let up, it would slide right back to where it was. The ground was so saturated from the river rising that the chance that it would dry out anytime soon was minimal. Ryan took a deep breath, unwilling to stop. His stubborn side kicked in and he glanced at Steve, who was sweating profusely. The humidity was getting to him.

  “You ready? Let’s try one more damn time.”

  Ryan counted to three and they pushed, harder, and finally got the car up over the muddy ruts. There was some thick grass behind it, enough for the tires to gain some traction, and they finally were able to push it. Ryan kept the momentum going, but moved back to the side so he could steer it. It would be just his luck – he’d forget to maneuver it and they’d slam it right into a tree, killing their last bit of hope in having a vehicle.

  “There’s a grove of trees just right over there. Let’s get it under that. It won’t be much protection, but it’ll be better than having it sit out in the open.”

  When they got it where they wanted, Ryan put it back in park and shut the door. They both stood to catch their breath, both quiet as they tried to gain their composure. They had left their bags back near where Mrs. McElroy’s body was. In the midst of the excitement of moving the car, Ryan hadn’t thought about the sweet old woman.

  “Moving the car was the easy part,” Ryan said, glancing at Steve. “The chances of finding the tools I need are probably one in a million. But at least we got it moved.”

  “I didn’t think we’d get it out of the mud. Looks like the storm that was coming this way side tracked a little. Might be going south.”

  Ryan looked in the direction Steve was pointing and rested his hands on his hips. With low-calorie intake and so much physical work being done, he was starting to feel a lapse in energy, and the day had barely started. But Steve was right – the storm was no longer coming that way. It was the break they were needing.

  “We still need to watch it. With as random as everything is, it could easily swing back around and catch us off guard.” Ryan patted Steve on the back. “Good work. I couldn’t have done that without you.”

  “Just let me know what I need to do. I’m not much for working on cars or knowing what the weather is doing, but I can farm and I can learn.”

  “The farming might come in handy one day if this is as bad as what I’m fearing. I’d like to think this is all a huge overreaction, but my gut is telling me the worst has yet to happen.”

  Ryan and Steve walked back to their supplies, both knowing they needed to do something with Mrs. McElroy. Ryan stood over her, taking his ball cap off. He had known people who had died, most peacefully, their death expected, but nothing as horrible as this. He had to tell himself that she didn’t know what hit her, but the fact that she was down by the river, not close to a highway, made him think she was trying to outrun the weather. The fear she felt made him feel like a wall had toppled over on him.

  Kneeling, he pulled the impaled wood from her midsection. It felt so undignified to have her laid out on the ground like that. They didn’t have any shovels, but the ground was soft. Unfortunately, they didn’t have enough time to dig a deep enough grave. If they left it too shallow, wildlife would get her.

  The sound of the rushing river was loud and only a few feet away. They could send her off that way, but the fear of tainting the water made that plan get shot down almost immediately. It was the only fresh water supply they had once their canteens and bottled water ran out.

  “I know you knew this lady and you were close, but we can’t get hung up on this, Ryan.” Steve knelt beside him. “She wouldn’t want you to get tied up worrying about a proper burial for her. Besides, she’s not here anyway. It’s just her body.”

  “I know,” Ryan replied, feeling his voice catch in his throat. “She deserves so much better.”

  “She does, but you have to keep in mind that times are not how they were. We are in survival mode. Anything normal is gone, including burying the dead.”

  Ryan stood up and gathered some branches and greenery that had fallen. Before covering her, he checked her body for anything they might be able to use. She didn’t have much on her – just a few dollar bills in her pocket and a rosary. Ryan pocketed both. The money wouldn’t be any good, and despite the fact that he wasn’t that religious, keeping her rosary helped with the closure of just leaving her body there for wild animals and looters to mess with.

  He also checked her car – she didn’t have much in it either. There was a blanket in the trunk and a bag of groceries, most of it perishable and spoiling. He took the stuff that still appeared to be okay – a bag of potato chips, two brownies from her bakery, and a six pack of Dr. Peppers. There was also a few cans of corn and green beans. The thought of the soda made his mouth water, though it probably wasn’t a wise decision to drink them. It’d dehydrate him and backtrack his body in an attempt to keep functioning, but the sugar rush might give them some short-term energy.

  She had a sewing kit next to the blanket and he remembered one of her hobbies was needlework. The needles and thread might come in handy for something, so he gathered it up as well. Their load was getting heavy, but it was stuff he couldn’t leave behind. Though he had locked the looter inside
the cellar, the nuisance was probably resourceful enough to eventually find his way out, and Ryan couldn’t allow him the upper hand with supplies.

  He tossed Steve the blanket. “At least you won’t freeze at night anymore. I bet she crocheted that thing herself. She used to make stuff like that all the time.”

  “Then you keep it.”

  “Nah. Just carry it with us. We’ll need it. And look, we’ve got goodies. Her brownies are amazing.”

  He opened the wrapper and gave one to Steve. Taking a large bite, he savored the flavor. They weren’t completely fresh, but they were moist, and the chocolate icing on top was the perfect touch. The plastic wrapper had prevented any water getting inside. It was like he was getting his first taste of sweets, and he gobbled it down in two bites.

  “An ice cold glass of milk would be perfect to wash it down,” Steve said, wiping the chocolate from his chin.

  “Damn straight.” Ryan held up the bag of chips and the Dr. Pepper. “Looks like we got some snacks for later.”

  “So what’s the game plan?” Steve asked as he folded the blanket and put it in his bag.

  Ryan scanned the sky. The storm was well past them, but the sky was still dark. “We need to keep going toward Harper Springs. I don’t want to leave the car for too long, but right now, I need to find some tools to fix the damn thing. I’m hoping if I can get to my shop, I might come across something.”

  “Everything is leveled. You think there is anything left?”

  “Probably not, but I’m bound to find something along the way. Even if the buildings are gone, the stuff inside is somewhere. Might be miles from where it originated, but I’ve gotta try, or we moved it for nothing.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “I think we better hang back for a bit. The storm went right in the direction of Harper Springs, and I really don’t want to be on the tail end of it. We’ll go that way once it dissipates.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Darryl was growing antsy. Several days had passed and not much had changed. A few minor rain storms had come through the area, but with him on edge and Ty stressed about his parents, every problem that came along seemed to be blown out of proportion.

  Ty’s health was his biggest concern. The circulation in his arm seemed to be getting worse – his skin was still blue and getting darker, and the lack of mobility made him fear that the damage would be permanent. The poor boy would have no use for the arm ever again.

  “How you feeling, Ty?”

  He was sitting up and had just finished a can of Vienna sausages. “How come I can’t feel my arm anymore?”

  It had been something he had asked almost daily, and Darryl didn’t know how to answer it. “I’m not sure, kiddo.”

  In the time between Ty sleeping and Darryl being bored out of his mind, he was able to make it easier to come in and out of the cellar. It wasn’t stable and he’d never let Ty climb it by himself, but the makeshift ladder was good enough to get them in and out a lot easier than using a rope made of tree switches that would snap with repetitive use. He had finally reached the point that he knew he needed to get Ryan some sunlight. The kid had been down inside the storm shelter with no sunlight or fresh air since the whole ordeal began weeks ago.

  “What do you say we get you outside for a few minutes?”

  “What if another tornado comes? What if it takes me away like it took my mommy away?”

  “I’ll make sure to get you back down here before that happens. And I don’t think a tornado took your mommy away, Ty.”

  Ty looked down at the floor and took a deep breath. He had done a lot of growing up, and the worry for both of his parents was obvious by all of the questions he asked. Darryl didn’t have the heart to tell him that the chances that he’d ever see his mom and dad were slim. Stranger things had happened, but with Ryan running around out there with not much food and nowhere to go when the weather turned, he was probably already a dead man. It killed him to think that way, and the thought of his only son being dead was painful, but they were making a new normal. The fates had shifted, and at that moment, the only thing that mattered was them staying alive and him protecting Ty.

  If Ryan really was dead like Darryl had feared, there would come a day where he and Ty would have to venture off to get food. He had a gun and he could hunt. Once the bullets ran out, he could try and make a bow and arrow, which wasn’t the easiest way to hunt, but an available option when the time came.

  Picking Ty up, he ruffled his hair. “Let’s get you some fresh air.”

  He slowly climbed up the wobbly ladder and swung the homemade metal door open. He pushed Ryan through first and joined him at the top. The sky to the east was dark and stormy, and the humidity was so thick that you could cut a knife through it.

  “Where’s my house?”

  It dawned on Darryl that this was the first time Ty had been outside since the very first storm. It was the first time the child had gotten a look at the way things really were. A mention of his home being gone was one thing, but actually seeing it put it all into perspective, even for a boy as young as he was.

  “The tornado took it, Ty. It’s gone.” Darryl probably could’ve said it better, but the truth hurt sometimes, and they were in for a lot more disappointment before it was all said and done.

  “My room? My toys?”

  “Everything, grandson. I’m sorry.”

  Ty took a few steps forward, trying to keep his balance. He still seemed to have some vertigo, which meant whatever issues the head injury had caused were not completely gone. The fresh air would do him some good. He hoped to get him some sunlight, but it was masked behind a thick blanket of dark clouds that made it feel later in the day than it actually was.

  “Why did the tornado take everything?”

  “Because tornadoes are powerful things, Ty. One day we’ll build another house and get you new toys. Everything will be fine soon.”

  “My mommy and daddy will be here too?”

  “I sure hope so. I hope that we’ll look back on all of this and it’ll be nothing but a memory.”

  Ty moved his arm in the sling, and each time he did, Darryl saw the bone stick out from the gauze bandage. He needed to do something about it, but what? All he had on him was a knife and the first aid kit that Ryan had supplied. It didn’t have much in it either – bandages, wound ointment, alcohol, and peroxide. It also had a few small packets of painkillers, which they would have to break out soon. The bottle of Tylenol and ibuprofen was running low.

  Before he put Ty to bed that evening, he’d have to try and clean up the wound some more. He feared infection, and if that happened, there would be no doubt that the arm would have to be amputated to prevent it from spreading. It was either lose the arm, or Ty lose his life, and Darryl would do everything he could to not let that happen. Amputating the arm would pose other problems. It’d be an even bigger wound, which made him even more vulnerable to infection. Maybe they were better off just keeping it bandaged up until he was able to get him some professional help. Without proper pain medication, the trauma alone would possibly send Ty into shock and kill him.

  Darryl had to tell himself they’d cross that bridge when they got to it. Right now, it seemed fine, but what did he know? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But it was broken. They needed some damn help! Maybe it was better to just take a risk and head for town. At least they’d die trying, instead of delaying the inevitable.

  “Let’s go walk to the trees over there. Didn’t y’all used to have a barn?”

  Ty nodded as if he were proud of it. He looked almost identical to Ryan at that age, and if he allowed himself, it almost felt like they had gone back in time when he and Ryan would walk the pasture and find things to work on.

  The walk was slow, and with each step they took from the cellar, it made Darryl nervous, but he couldn’t hold Ty hostage underground the whole time. Getting his blood flowing might help, along with the fresh air, and hopefully the sun if it ever decided to
come out.

  “We had a couple of horses, some chickens, and goats, and daddy said we were going to get some cows!” Ty’s eyes lit up when talking about the livestock.

  “Cows, huh? Would you wanna get up before the sun to milk those cows?”

  “I would! Grandpa, can we get some cows?”

  “I don’t know.” He didn’t know what would happen within the next hour, much less what would happen in a few weeks.

  “Where are all of our animals? Did the tornado take them too?”

  “Maybe. Maybe the horses found a place to hide. Sometimes those are the best animals to watch whenever the weather is bad.”

  Ty kicked a dirt clod and watched it fall apart. “If we had a horse, we could go find my mommy and daddy!”

  Darryl nodded and picked up a wrench that had been covered in some dirt. “That’s a good plan, Ty! Maybe one of your horses will come back.” The mention of the animals made Darryl wonder where they all were. There were plenty of horse breeders in the area, as well as cattle farmers. Was it possible that they had been completely wiped off the face of the earth? He had never heard anything like it.

  “I just felt a raindrop!” Ty pointed up to the sky with his good arm.

  “Which means we should probably get back to the cellar.”

  A rumble of thunder echoed off of the mountains, making it sound bigger than it was. Since Ty still wasn’t quick on his feet and Darryl worrying that he might trip and hurt his arm worse, he picked him up and quickened his pace toward their shelter.

  Soon, they’d have to forage for more food.

  Soon, he’d have to make a decision about Ty’s arm.

  ~~

  Sun was setting and Ryan still wasn’t comfortable going toward Harper Springs. The weather was putting them farther behind, but the sky never cleared up and where they were seemed like the safest place temporarily. Now that it was getting dark, the best thing to do was set up camp and wait until the morning. Moving the car had taken a lot of energy, so resting would also be in their best interest.