Twisted Fate

Chapter 1

It was an early summer day in Oklahoma. The air was thick and humid, the kind of day where even the breeze felt sticky. I had just gotten home from the grocery store and had stepped out of my beat-up used car as beads of sweat started to form on my forehead. With a sigh, I opened the trunk and reached for the first bag. As I grabbed it, something caught my eye. I glanced towards the horizon and noticed a dark cloud beginning to take shape, its edges curling ominously. My heart skipped a beat. I knew what that meant. A storm was brewing. And I had never seen one form as quickly as this one.

Panic set in. I hurriedly reached back into the trunk, scooping all the grocery bags into my arms, despite knowing it should probably be a two-trip job. The weight of the bags strained my muscles, but I pressed on, making a beeline for the front door. My fingers fumbled with the keys, slick with sweat, but on the third attempt, I managed to unlock the door and burst inside. I rushed to the kitchen, barely managing to throw the grocery bags onto the counter. The bags tumbled over and their contents scattered, the lemons I had bought making light thuds as they rolled off the counter and onto the linoleum. But I didn't care. My thoughts were already outside, on the storm that was rapidly approaching.

I barely had time to catch my breath before I heard the tornado sirens outside. My eyes darted around the kitchen, taking in the mess of groceries on the counter. But there was something more important. Phoebe. I had to find her and get to the basement.

I rushed into the living room, scanning the room quickly. No sign of her. I moved from room to room, calling out her name. I checked the kitchen. Then the dining room. Then the bathroom where the litter was. The wind had picked up outside, catching my attention as it rattled the windows.

"Phoebe!" I yelled, my voice laced with panic now. I ran to the living room hoping I would find her quickly. I ducked down to check under the couch, but nothing except a few toys she had pushed under there at some point. Then I hurried into the bedroom. There she was, curled up on my bed, oblivious to the chaos outside.

"Come on, Phoebe," I urged, scooping her up into my arms. She meowed in protest of her nap being disturbed but didn't struggle. With Phoebe secured, I dashed towards the door that led to the basement stairs. Once I was in the basement I frantically looked around trying to think of where the safest place to take shelter would be. Think. Think. Think. Tyler. What would Tyler tell me right now? Interior rooms. He had always emphasized interior rooms.

With this in mind, I decided on the bathroom, specifically the shower stall with its solid walls. I clutched Phoebe tightly, as I stepped inside and then sat down on the cool tile floor. With my knees pulled to my chest, I positioned Phoebe between my legs and chest, her small body trembling against me.

I reached over and grabbed a towel to pull it over my head, and made a makeshift shield against any debris if the tornado hit. I could hear the roar outside, a deep, menacing sound that sent shivers down my spine. The tornado was making its way through the neighborhood, and I could feel the pressure in the air change.

I bowed my head and clenched my eyes shut. I hugged Phoebe tighter. The sounds above grew louder and more terrifying. A loud crash reverberated through the house, signaling the tornado's destructive path. I didn't dare look. The deafening whirring sound of the tornado moving over my home drowned out all other noises. It was so loud, I could barely think. Phoebe's claws dug deeper into my skin. But I held on tighter, whispering soothing words to her, trying to calm both of us as the storm raged on. Minutes felt like hours as I endured the storm. The noise, the pressure, the fear - it was overwhelming. Yet, I stayed there, clutching Phoebe, hoping and praying that the storm would pass and leave us both unscathed.

As the roar of the tornado began to fade, a haunting silence took its place. Tears started to stream down my face. I held onto Phoebe as tightly as I could without crushing her, knowing she was all I had left. The weight of everything I'd lost pressed down on me, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing her too. Memories of my parents flashed through my mind. I wondered if this was what they had gone through in their last moments. It had been four years since the tornado that took them away. I had gone storm chasing with Tyler that day, watching in stunned silence as the tornado tore through my hometown. By the time Tyler and I had fought our way back through the rubble to help, there was nothing left to save. They were already gone.