Polaroid

Chapter 13: News

The internet, tv, and phone had finally started working again the next morning. My mom must've been the last person to be watching tv, since the local news channel came on. Their main reporter, Mike Smith, appeared on the tv screen.

"And our next story is yet another about the massive storm that had happened on Friday night. A woman has mysteriously disappeared in the massive tornado from Friday night's storm. Stay tuned for more details on the story," Mike explained.

Mom, I thought to myself. They were doing a story on our mom. "A woman who has mysteriously disappeared in the massive tornado from Friday night's storm." I was just about to be once again reminded of the tragedy that occurred to my mom.

"Vaughan! Eli! Dad!" I hollered. The news story was coming back on, and they were all in the kitchen. "Come quick!"

"What is it, Melodie?" Vaughan asked frantically.

"What now?" Eli replied with a disgusted tone in his voice.

"Is everything alright?" my dad questioned.

I sat there silently. They came running in almost immediately after I had yelled. The title "Woman Disappears in Mysterious Tornado" appeared on the screen. As I turned up the tv volume, I still sat in silence on the couch. Finally when they realized what the title of the news was, they all plopped down next to me on the couch. Our eyes were glued to the tv. The story began.

"According to officials, detectives, and witnesses, this horrible accident occurred late Friday night," Mike explained.

"A 50 year old woman believed to be Karlene Rivers, a Cumberland Farms employee, completely vanished after her shift at Cumberland Farms in the massive tornado that had occurred," Dee Kempton, the other reporter, observed.

"According to a witness who was a few cars away from Karlene, the tornado had appeared almost out of nowhere. It just sucked up the car, and retreated back into the clouds," Mike added on.

"Now Mike, there is no possible way that Karlene Rivers could still be alive. Is that correct?" asked Dee.

"Of course she's not alive. She got sucked up by a tornado," I muttered at the tv.

"Yes. There is no possible way she could still be living. It would be a miracle to see that occur," responded Mike.

I turned off the tv, and nobody complained because I did. It seemed like I was doing everyone in the room a favor by trying to get memory of the news report out of our heads. I just couldn't accept the fact that she was dead. Eli, Vaughan, and I desperately wanted to call the detectives that were searching through the town for our mom, and tell them everything. We just couldn't. I couldn't take the stress and depression anymore. I stormed off to my room, and nobody tried to stop me.