The Long Way Home

Chapter 2

The beginning of the journey going down the rugged mountains. The cracks in the road. The stings all over my legs from the scraps of the road. My heartbeating as fast a dream at this point. The stinging sensation on my bare toes letting them hit the hot pavement to let my feet breath from my wet and stinking sock mixed with sweat and tears. My throat was dry. I couldn't even talk. Water. I begged to Earth day and night to find some kind of water. Anything.

The heat burned my back as I laid down on the ground trying to get a couple of hours of sleep. I was just outside of Topeka, Kansas, but the only probably was that I was laying in the middle of a hot corn field with no water in sight for miles. I wanted water. No I need water. I looked to my left to see the morning star come barely over the corn field edge. It was time for my journey to start. The warm fell into a small breeze making my long dirty hair fall onto my shoulder as I stood up from the dry ground. My hazel eyes widen as they adjust to the disaster around me. The field was empty not even a single corn grain in my proximity. Frightened I ran thinking there was a small chance the owners seen me in their plants hiding from the warm air. I come to an old dusty road leading up to an old painted barn. I look up to see boards starting to fall off and the paint was pale and barely noticeable. I dropped on my knees staring intensely at the old barn like I was waiting for it to make its move on me. Water droplets hit the top of my head. I stare up at the dark sky with low clouds above me scaring me to death or maybe this was my death. The wind picked up almost pulling my with it. The sun immediately disspeared leaving the whole state of Kansas into darkness. I pick myself up to maybe take a run at the barn and find something to save my life, but I know I wouldn't find nothing considering there would be nothing to hold me down on earth during a tornado that looked to have 100 miles hour winds. Silent tears feel from my face it was like the sky was mocking me by doing the same thing.

This was it for me today was my death date the spring time where its suppose to be beautiful in California other than the mud slides and fires, but instead I am stuck in tornado alley fighting evil things trying to capture me and throw me in the air trying to kill me slowly. The tornado picked up speed as it got a little closer. "This is it," I whispered cradling myself slightly as I wiped away my tears thinking about Mama and Papa the people who left me stranded in the middle of the boring state of Kansas that could also get me killed.

"Little girl what on earth are you doing out here?" a woman asked from behind me. I turned around with my hand clasps together like I was saying a pray to god to help me find the way back to the beauty state.

"I don't know," I cried feeling guilty for lieing a bit about how I felt. I knew why I was out here, but I couldn't let the words come out that my parents left me at a gasoline stop.

"Well dear come into our home then," the woman said grabbing ahold of my hand and dragging me a bit to her front door that was screened in.

"Herbert look what I found," the old woman said holding her cane up in the air a bit excited about finding a girl like me.

"What did you find?" the old man asked putting his dentures into a glass of water. He looks up squinting his eyes a bit to get a good look at me.

"I found a girl put in the storm trying to hide in our field," the old woman commented before taking a seat in the old creaky rocking chair. The old man chuckled a bit before looking back up at me.

"What are you doing out in the middle of field during a storm don't you know better?" the old man asked licking his bottom lip that was slightly swollen.

"My parents left me at a gas station and I have been trying to get back to them without help from police I don't want my parents to get in trouble," I explain my situation to the lovely old couple. They nod their heads before blasting the radio that had the forecast on it.

"On the lastest news there has been wide range of reports all across Kansas of funnel clouds and tornados. People that live around Topeka we greatly encourage you to take shelter immediately," the forecast man said in a calm voice even thought the situation was very horrifying.

The old man grabbed his small cane next him that was completely made out of wood and grabbed the miniature radio. "Let's head downstairs," the old man suggested before leading me down to the rickety old stairs. I started walking down the stairs when my foot got stuck in a loose floorboard making me trip forward, my knee stung with agony. I stood a little bit, but all I felt was pain throughout my leg.

"Are you okay?" the old man asked in concern behind me, I nod my head to let him know I was okay. "Are you sure?"

I start taking baby steps down the stairs, trying to get through the pain I felt everywhere on my body, begging me to stop walking these old stairs. As soon as I got to the couch, I pulled my leg up to see blood trickling down my leg, it was a dark red color smeared a bit from my pants. The house started shaking, horrible sounds came from upstairs. "Honey get down here now!" the man yelled before turning on the radio in a swift motion.

The old woman soon appeared next us and sat down listening to the weather man speak in a fast voice. The tornado was finally here.