The Cyclones

It all started in a small town. I lived on the edge of town with my grandparents. My house was a lovely two story house, with a badge siding. The shutters around the windows were a rusted red color. The house was rectangular in shape and wider horizontally than vertically. The bottom porch was a finished red wood which was painted the rusted red color to match the shutters and wrapped around the bottom part of the house. The living room had clear, double glass doors that led out to the porch. Additionally, the porch was screened in with a glass storm door that was outside of the front door.

In my narrow kitchen, I was sitting down to eat with my grandparents, my friend Paul, my friend David, and David's pug. My sister joined us along with my brother. My youngest sister was at work. I was arguing with my brother about a Futurama themed Adventure Time when we looked to the left of the wall. The wall used some kind of video game logic. when there was a threat of some sort, the wall would become see through, so that we could prepare for the threat. I looked up and the wall was gone, revealing a very wide and scary tornado.

The tornado was about five miles in width, darkish brown in color, and very, very terrifying. What was even more terrifying was the realization that we did not have a basement. My grandfather rushed outside to the porch, where the tornado's wind was already picking up and secured the storm door that was opening and closing with the wind. He inserted a key to the door which brought up a computer program, using the door and a screen. He input some numbers and his code. A voice thanked him and he ran back inside, securing the second door. He yelled at all of us to get down under the table and to hold on.

I grabbed David's pug with one arm and grabbed the table leg with the other. Then, the tornado hit and everything seemed to slow down and happen in slow motion. All of us were anchored down by grabbing onto the table but there was still enough force to lift all of our bodies off of the ground. My grandfather shouted at us not to let go for anything. The fact that my body was suspended in the air while holding a pug was quite difficult.

David glanced over at me holding the small, scared dog. The computer program was working as designed though, the house was still in tact. Finally, we were being lowered back down and the tornado made its way back into the clouds. My grandfather asked if everyone was all right. I nodded and told him that I was going to take a walk to check on our neighbors. He agreed with me and proceeded to help my grandmother back into her chair. I entered a code on the storm door and it released, leaving me free and out of the house.

I walked about a quarter of a mile, looking at all of the damage done to the houses whose families did not pay extra to the federation for the storm door. When you were living on a planet like this one, the storm door was well worth the investment. I had almost made it to the railroad bridge before I saw them. As I turned around and looked, there were three water cyclones that had formed in the lake a little further down the street from me but they were heading my way and quickly. There wasn't enough time to get to the bridge for cover. The cyclones were getting closer, passing over cars in the road, sucking up up, and spitting them out like candies.

Three cyclones, I thought, I'm not going to get to say goodbye to my family because of three cyclones. Then, it's as if they passed through me. The cyclones left everything in black and white that they destroyed. I died. It was quick.

As I lay there dead, my body started flashing red, in contrast to the black and white environment. The next thing I know, I'm sitting at the long dinner table with my family, playing cards. I see that both of my wrists have these weird black metallic cuffs that have wires hooked up to some sort of battery. My brother noticed the light (or life)in my eyes and explained that the three cyclones had killed me and most of the town. He was able to bring me back but told me that my life came with a price. I had such severe brain trauma and damage from the cyclones since I faced them head on and without any kind of shelter or shield, that I would never again be able to make my own decisions again.

He demonstrated this by pressing one of the many buttons on the battery and I played a card. He told me that the fashion cuffs were the receivers for the commands. Finally, he looked me in the eyes and apologized for doing this to me but he just couldn't let me go. I pressed a button on the battery that let me hug him and I said, "let's play some cards."

The Savannah River Nightmare

I've had this dream that reoccurs every so often, but I've had it since I was six years old.


I am in a blue car. Sometimes I'm with people, but this time I was by myself. I am driving down Gordon Highway in Augusta trying to make it to North Augusta. As I'm driving across the Savannah River bridge, I look down and think that's quite a fall. Then, another car, out of nowhere, hits me and noses me to the edge of the bridge. My car breaks through the guard rail and I scream.

The car plunges downward. It feels like I'm falling for hours. It's like time stops. I can't breath or move. I'm thrown against my seat with tremendous force. Then, the car smashes into the water and I hit my head hard on the steering wheel. The car starts to fill up with water. I can't get out of my seat belt. I fumble and struggle to get out of the car. Finally, the seat belt is off but the car has sunk quickly and is now filling up with water. I try opening the door. No good. I try breaking the glass window. It won't break. The car is still filling up with water.

I try to kick the window hoping there's enough pressure to crack it. There isn't.

The car is almost full of water. I'm swallowing air at the tiny pocket at the top of the car.

I'm still trying to kick the window open but it won't budge. I'm almost at the bottom of the river now. Finally, the car is full of water and I can't breathe.

I die.

Soothing

A stream flows smoothly
through the mountains
only one rock block its path
It tries to go around it
but it cannot.
Eventually,
it does get through the rock
that caused it so much
delay.