Karbie Forever: Mr. and Mrs. Carson

A Hurricane of Thanks

8:00 pm

The howling winds circled above, rushing through the Hawaiian air like a freight train about to dislodge from its track. It was monstrous, the way the whistling and churning chugged along from everywhere. Trapped in a wind tunnel inside a tornado would be the only way to describe it. Loud banging and thumping rattled the shutters and siding, shaking tremendously with such ferocity one might think the contents would disrupt and break free from the foundation at any moment.

Hurricanes had a way of instilling true fear as you stare straight into the eye of the tropical beast that takes no prisoners, ripping up and destroying both man-made and natural features without discrimination. Lives can be ruined, structures are reduced to rubble, ocean waters turn basements into bathtubs and streets into rivers in a heartbeat. Everyone is at the mercy of the weather pattern that roars into town, cowering at the power of Mother Nature.

Skipper, Barbie, and Ken thought so, at least.

"Is it almost over?"

"Nowhere near. It's supposed to go all along the southern parts of the islands... Right over us"

"At least we're safe down here..."

The three of them were huddled together in their basement in their little duplex on Lemon Avenue, right on the skirts of Waikiki in between the ocean and the university. While they took shelter in their ground floor, they listened to the cloud's engines roar above, skyrocketing over and past their shaking house, and could only think of the most dreadful things happening to their house above.

"It's going to be okay, Skip", Barbie reassured her younger sister, her one arm holding her sister tightly as her other hand gripped at her husband's. Ken was keeping watch overhead at the rumbling ceiling, praying it wouldn't collapse on them at any minute.

"We'll be alright", he also attempted to calm her down, bringing his wife closer as another loud boom echoed from the front of the house– most likely something hit the siding.

Hurricane Lolita came through like lightning, faster than anyone had predicted. The weather reports categorized it as a small tropical storm– something the tropical islands are prone to quite often–, but the official status of hurricane was granted just a mere day ago. Without much time to take cover, the island of Oahu was hit harder than they expected, forcing everyone to barricade themselves in the safest parts of their house.

In Barbie, Ken, and Skipper's case, their basement.

Another loud shock boomed outside, causing Skipper to flinch and duck her head. Barbie pulled her closer, which in turn made Ken react. Reaching both his arms around his wife and sister-in-law, he did his best to keep his composure while his insides were anxious mush.

"Please make it stop... Please make it stop...", murmured Skipper, her whispering voice shaking just as much as the climate outside.

When another loud whistling rained down over them, the brunette was immediately transported back in time to another memory that involved another traumatic experience with a natural disaster... coincidentally, with her sister.

~FLASHBACK~

"Well, that should be about it, I guess... No more boxes up here. We're all out"

"What about the canned food? We should have more in the pantry downstairs. I can pass those out, too, for those still in need"

"Alrighty. I'll go check, mom"

Walking down the basement steps, Skipper turned on the light that illuminated their pantry space, displaying a whole shelving unit full of non-perishables that extended as wide as the foundation.