up to his thighs from the closet beside the door. He tossed another pair to Alex, who shoved them on in a hurry, a half smoked cigarette hanging between his lips.
“What should we do?” I asked.
“Stay inside.” Aden said as he kissed me and hurried out of the house.
Finally , I took a moment to look out the big windows in the great room. It still looked dark, but it couldn’t have been, it must be close to noon by now. The patio furniture had been slid around a little by the wind, and everything was drenched, and being whipped back and forth by the wind, which was creating a howling sound around the house. I looked at Christie who looked concerned, and very frightened.
“What the hell is going on? Wasn’t it supposed to be nice this wee kend?” She asked.
“I don’t know I didn’t look at the forecast… I assumed one of you guys did.”
“Shit. It’s really bad, look the water is already coming up to the patio!” She cried, dragging a shaking hand through her hair and turning to grab one of Alex’s cigarettes from his pack on the pool table.
We stoo d by the sliding glass door and watched the storm. Suddenly Aden and Alex came heaving through the water, one at a time, piling sand bags from the garage to the sliding glass door. When they finished they sloshed through the water and around to the back of the house. As they burst through the door, completely soaked, they heaved sandbags into the house and closed the door.
“Come help us put these up.” Aden called to us.
Rushing to their side, Christie and I hefted the bags together and piled them up the front and back door as the boys showed us, they were heavier than I had expected them to be, we ended up helping each other lift them.
As thunder rolled somewhere close, the room grew darker, until we could barely see. I ran my hand along the wall, searching for the light switch that was located behind one of the couches across the room from the pool table. When I found it finally, it was covered with something thick, and sticky. I quickly switched it on, revealing the brown mess, and I wondered how the mud had gotten there. I helped Christie heft the last sand bag, there was no mud on her hands. Aden had left the room and Alex was heading for his room. I quickly made my way to our bedroom.
“Aden!” I cried. W hen I found him in the bathroom, he was stripping off his wet clothes, his eyes looked worried, but his hands were clean.
“What is it?” He asked as he sat down on the bathtub ledge, and pulled on fresh clothes.
“Look,” I held out my hand to him.
“Did one of the bags rip?” He grabbed my hand and ran his thumb along my palm, smearing the thick mud along my skin.
“No, it was on the light switch.”
Aden stared up at me, his brow furrowed. I held his gaze for a moment as I watched his reaction carefully.
“Do you think someone else is in the house?” I asked my hand at my throat as I tried to swallow, not wanting to bring up the obvious.
Suddenly standing, h e rushed past me, hollering for Alex, who was now also changed into dry clothes. They stood beside the pool table, Aden speaking in low tones to Alex. Alex looked down and his face dropped as he brought a hand up to his mouth before saying something to Aden with exaggerated facial expressions. Reflexively he fished a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, taking a shaky drag. Aden was still speaking too low for me to hear, and his back was to me, so I couldn’t read his face, but I was frozen. All along, I supposed I’d known that he would show up one day, we all did, we just never thought it would be so soon.
Fear gripped my heart as I remembered sitting in the courtroom with my best friend, holding her hand in place of the dear twin sister she had lost, as her father was pronounced guilty of aggravated assault, and sentenced to three years. We were all shocked because we thought he would be gone forever. Christie’s fraternal twin sister Erica was jogging one
“What should we do?” I asked.
“Stay inside.” Aden said as he kissed me and hurried out of the house.
Finally , I took a moment to look out the big windows in the great room. It still looked dark, but it couldn’t have been, it must be close to noon by now. The patio furniture had been slid around a little by the wind, and everything was drenched, and being whipped back and forth by the wind, which was creating a howling sound around the house. I looked at Christie who looked concerned, and very frightened.
“What the hell is going on? Wasn’t it supposed to be nice this wee kend?” She asked.
“I don’t know I didn’t look at the forecast… I assumed one of you guys did.”
“Shit. It’s really bad, look the water is already coming up to the patio!” She cried, dragging a shaking hand through her hair and turning to grab one of Alex’s cigarettes from his pack on the pool table.
We stoo d by the sliding glass door and watched the storm. Suddenly Aden and Alex came heaving through the water, one at a time, piling sand bags from the garage to the sliding glass door. When they finished they sloshed through the water and around to the back of the house. As they burst through the door, completely soaked, they heaved sandbags into the house and closed the door.
“Come help us put these up.” Aden called to us.
Rushing to their side, Christie and I hefted the bags together and piled them up the front and back door as the boys showed us, they were heavier than I had expected them to be, we ended up helping each other lift them.
As thunder rolled somewhere close, the room grew darker, until we could barely see. I ran my hand along the wall, searching for the light switch that was located behind one of the couches across the room from the pool table. When I found it finally, it was covered with something thick, and sticky. I quickly switched it on, revealing the brown mess, and I wondered how the mud had gotten there. I helped Christie heft the last sand bag, there was no mud on her hands. Aden had left the room and Alex was heading for his room. I quickly made my way to our bedroom.
“Aden!” I cried. W hen I found him in the bathroom, he was stripping off his wet clothes, his eyes looked worried, but his hands were clean.
“What is it?” He asked as he sat down on the bathtub ledge, and pulled on fresh clothes.
“Look,” I held out my hand to him.
“Did one of the bags rip?” He grabbed my hand and ran his thumb along my palm, smearing the thick mud along my skin.
“No, it was on the light switch.”
Aden stared up at me, his brow furrowed. I held his gaze for a moment as I watched his reaction carefully.
“Do you think someone else is in the house?” I asked my hand at my throat as I tried to swallow, not wanting to bring up the obvious.
Suddenly standing, h e rushed past me, hollering for Alex, who was now also changed into dry clothes. They stood beside the pool table, Aden speaking in low tones to Alex. Alex looked down and his face dropped as he brought a hand up to his mouth before saying something to Aden with exaggerated facial expressions. Reflexively he fished a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, taking a shaky drag. Aden was still speaking too low for me to hear, and his back was to me, so I couldn’t read his face, but I was frozen. All along, I supposed I’d known that he would show up one day, we all did, we just never thought it would be so soon.
Fear gripped my heart as I remembered sitting in the courtroom with my best friend, holding her hand in place of the dear twin sister she had lost, as her father was pronounced guilty of aggravated assault, and sentenced to three years. We were all shocked because we thought he would be gone forever. Christie’s fraternal twin sister Erica was jogging one
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