Chapter Nine #4
“Fuck!” Damian cursed, angry with himself. He should have known Ryan wouldn’t stay.
“That is not helpful,” Joel sighed.
When Callie stepped onto the street, she instantly regretted her choice, but she wasn’t going to turn back.
The wind pushed her forward, and she was soaked through again within seconds.
She planned to return to Martha’s house; it was a short walk, but in this weather, it might as well have been miles away.
She tried to keep her footing but fell several times, once caught in a surge of water and pushed a dozen feet before she could get up and regain her balance.
She was bruised and hurting, and she was looking for any option to get inside.
All the stores on the main street were closed and locked up.
Everyone was either in their homes or gathered at Joel’s restaurant.
She debated turning around, but with the rain and wind she couldn’t see back up the street.
And it was now just as far to go back as it was to go forward.
She turned the corner to find shelter from the wind and take a moment to catch her breath.
She ducked into the first store doorway she saw.
The store was closed, and she plopped down, exhausted, out of breath, and drenched.
Joel’s cotton sweatshirt and pants felt especially heavy, and she shivered from the cold.
Suddenly, she heard a loud crash and looked up just in time to see a garbage can hurtling toward her.
She screamed and tried to cover her head as the can shattered against the building just above her.
Its contents spilled out, hitting her on the head.
She felt the warmth of her blood under her palm as she pressed it to her forehead.
She shrank further into the doorway, trying to make herself as small as possible.
She was exhausted, her head hurt, and she couldn’t tell whether it was just the darkness or if she was passing out.
Ryan waited only a moment after Damian and Joel left, then left as well.
Martha tried to protest, but there was nothing she could do to stop him.
He limped down the street, struggling to stay on his feet.
His heart raced as the moments passed and there was still no sign of Callie.
He came to the main intersection of the town.
It was too dark to see far, so he picked a direction at random, hoping his luck would turn.
The storm was tossing debris around, and he had to avoid being struck several times.
He moved closer to the stores, which offered only slight protection.
The longer he searched without success, the more he panicked.
Any pain or hurt he had felt in the past few weeks was quickly overshadowed by the thought that he might not find her.
He stumbled into the next doorway and froze. Huddled in the corner in front of him was Callie. He knelt beside her and pulled her into his arms. She was hurt, and his heart sank.
“Callie,” Ryan called, pulling her up. She tried to focus as he pressed on the cut on her head and held her close. His body heat offered some comfort against the cold.
“Can you hear me?” Ryan said with urgency in his voice.
“Yeah,” Callie replied, though her head was spinning.
Ryan pulled her closer and held her, but she couldn’t stop shivering.
“God, Callie, you scared the shit out of me,” Ryan said, holding her. “I thought you were dead.”
He held her as he looked for a safe exit, but couldn’t see one.
He knew Martha’s house was only a block away, but it meant walking a path that was constantly threatened.
They weren’t safe in the doorway either, as Callie had already learned.
A bench came speeding toward them, smashing into the wall beside them.
Ryan decided they would try to move. There was another storefront that faced away from the wind and would provide safer cover.
“We’re going to move, but not far,” Ryan said, and she nodded.
He helped her up and mostly carried her as they rushed across the street. Callie lost her footing repeatedly as the water and wind pounded them. He led her into the doorway, and as they sat, he pulled her close again, hoping to shield her.
“Ryan, I’m scared,” Callie said, her voice muffled against his chest.
“It’s OK,” he replied. “We’ll be fine.”
He didn’t believe it himself. He scanned for any sign of where they could be and spotted a street sign tipped over at the next corner.
He dug his phone out of his pocket and checked for a signal.
It was weak, but he had to try. He sent a message to Damian, hoping it would reach him.
Then came a rumbling sound, like thunder, but it was growing louder and closer.
It was a metal barrel used as a planter.
The wind was pushing it down the street.
It should have passed by, but it hit a car parked at the curb and changed course, heading straight for them.
Callie screamed, and Ryan grabbed her, pulling her under him just as the barrel hit him.