The Storm

It was calm after the storm; the ground was mushy, squashing under Shiloh’s feet. It reeked of trash that the monster had distributed along the road and grass land; the tornado had chewed up and spit out anything in its path. Her car was among the mess; windows broken, tires either flat or completely gone, majority of her belongings somewhere out in the open fields. She grabbed a few things that were left, a water bottle and some snacks; her jacket and cell phone missing from the passenger seat. She was on her way home, it was summer, and although she didn’t want to head home, she knew she couldn’t find an affordable place in San Diego where she was going to school. She knew Oklahoma was prone to tornados, but she wasn’t expecting running into one on her journey home.

Shiloh had seen the mammoth tornado coming her way and luckily she ran for a ditch. She prayed everyone back home was safe, and that the town wasn’t rubble and dirt. They wouldn’t have been prepared for this monster, just like her parents hadn’t been. She had lost her parents in a tornado. It had been years since it paved its way through the town, one of the biggest tornadoes that hit in the town’s history. There were many deaths, including her parents. She was the miracle child that the sheriff had found in a pile of rubble that had once been their home. She had no family left, her parents didn’t have siblings and both grandparents had passed away long before she was born. She was sent to a foster home, and, within a week, a woman named Christy had brought her to a new home. She prayed to God Christy was out of harm’s way, safe and alive.

Shiloh had no idea where she was. When she ran for the ditch to take cover, she didn’t think about bringing anything with her; her jacket and cellphone, any extra clothes. She was scared, terrified there was another monster on its way to pick her up. Looking up at the now clear blue sky, she stood up on shaky legs and made her way back towards the road, and away from her trashed car. She was on one of the back roads in Oklahoma; she never liked driving on the interstate. But now without her car or any sense of direction, she was lost. She thought back to the few times she drove home, flipping through memories to see if she recognized this lonesome road. She sighed, realizing she had absolutely no idea how she had even gotten there in the first place. She remembered spotting the tornado, and racing for some sort of shelter. Looking at the road, she turned her head to the left and figured that was her best bet.
The only view she had for the few hours she had been walking was only more grassland. She didn’t want to give up quite yet, but didn’t know what else she could do. For all she knew she was miles and miles away from the nearest town. Shiloh sat down on the somewhat soggy dirt road and finally let the situation sink in. She only had a water bottle and some crackers, no cellphone or sweatshirt. Tears streamed down her face, her body shaking from her sobs and the chilly air, the sun not providing much heat anymore since it was now setting. It would be dark soon and she had nowhere to go. She wrapped the cardigan around her body and pulled her knees against her chest waiting for the sun to disappear.
She was trembling from the cool air that surrounded her; it had been a couple hours since she last saw the sun. She closed her eyes trying to calm down her convulsing body. Breathing deeply she focused on the sounds around her, the crickets and rustle of leaves, the gravel positioning itself around her. She knew she would survive the night and would be up and ready to walk at the first sight of the sun. Her shaking had slowed down, her body now just feeling numb. A bright light hit her face, and although he had her eyes closed, it was still blinding.
“You okay darlin’?” She heard a sweet southern voice ask. She looked up to find a guy about her age, 18, with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes. “I’m Dayton, the tornado cut into my way home, took my car with it, found this old truck on the side of the road. You need help?”
She looked up at him and smiled. “That’d be great; it’s Shiloh by the way.” She stood up on shaky legs, wrapping her arms around her once again shaking body.
Dayton reached his hand out to help her to the car, and she gratefully grabbed it. “Man, you're freezing! Whoever’s car this is has some blankets in the back, you can wrap yourself up in those.” She smiled and nodded thanks as he helped her to the passenger door. She hopped in and they were off. The beginning of the ride was quiet, the sounds of night surrounding them as they drove through wherever they were.

“Do you want something to eat? I have a few crackers left and some water. I’ve already had half, you should eat the rest.” He smiled and nodded his head, a silent thanks, and chugged down the water bottle along with the crackers. She smiled and leaned her head against the headrest. “Do you by any chance know where you’re going?” She laughed and looked over at him again. He was fairly tall, she hadn’t realized it before. He had nice dark skin and a pretty white smile. Freckles spotted his face and his cheeks were tinted red.
He laughed and looked over at her, “I actually don’t, I’m just as lost as you are. I wasn’t expecting the tornado to come through, and when it did I ran for shelter, stupid thing took my car and everything in it.” He shook his head and turned his eyes back to the road.
She laughed. “I suppose we should find somewhere to stop the car and sleep tonight, no point in wasting gas. I think we have enough blankets in the back to keep us warm.” He nodded his head and pulled to the side of the road. They wrapped themselves in blankets and lowered theirs chairs back, both falling into a deep slumber.