Dog Days ✶ Boone.

[ 002. ] STAINED CHEEKS

˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊
chapter TWO     ╱     STAINED CHEEKS

Theodora was one the verge of fainting.

   Theodora was no lover of storms, unlike her sister, who thrived in their wild embrace. Her sister would rush into the open fields, her spirit dancing with the growing tempest, savoring the charged air as the storm's fury loomed ever closer. In contrast, Theodora would retreat swiftly to the safety of the storm cellar, seeking solace from the brewing chaos. The stark difference between them lay not just in their actions but in their very essence—one drawn to the storm's raw energy, the other seeking sanctuary from its tumultuous power.

After a stretch of silence, where only the low hum of the engine filled the space between them, Javi's voice broke through the quiet. His question hung in the air like a lingering thought. "What did the tornado cowboy have to say?"

Kate, her expression tinged with a knowing smile, began to shrug off her jacket, the movement slow and deliberate. "Exactly what you'd expect," she replied, her words carrying the weight of inevitability. Theodora, shivering with nerves and from the cold air that blew through the backseat, assisted her sister in removing her jacket and threw it over her own shoulders.

The silence returned, but this time it was thick with anticipation, the kind that comes before a storm. Kate's eyes lifted to the sky, narrowing as they studied the gathering clouds, swirling in a slow, ominous dance. "The updraft is cycling," she announced, her voice steady but tinged with the urgency of what was brewing above them. The clouds, dark and brooding, seemed to pulse with energy, as if the sky itself was holding its breath.

Kate's gaze shifted to the screen on her lap, where a map flickered with shifting colors and lines, each one telling a story of what was to come. The roads ahead were uncertain, but Kate's voice remained unwavering as she made her decision.

"Okay, let's take a right up here," she directed, her tone calm, but with an undercurrent of resolve. Theodora almost smiled, seeing Kate so confident in the situation reminded her of the old Kate.

   Theodora missed the old Kate, a deep and wistful longing for the days when her sister would gently enter her room, the rumble of thunder rolling outside. In those moments, Kate would enfold her in a tender embrace, her warmth a sanctuary against the storm, while softly murmuring lullabies into her ear, weaving a cocoon of calm amidst the tempest's fury. Theodora missed the way Kate's laughter would fill the air, a melodious symphony that could transform her fear into joy, making her laugh until her sides ached and tears streamed down her face.

Each memory of those shared moments was a bittersweet echo of a past where love and laughter wove a protective shield around her, now a distant, cherished dream.

   Theodora noticed the way Kate's eyes darted nervously toward the window, her gaze fixed, unblinking, as though trying to decipher a hidden message in the landscape. Following Kate's gaze, Theo's breath caught in her throat. There, in the distance, stood a lone wind turbine, its towering frame trembling against the force of the gathering storm.

The blades, which usually turned with a lazy grace, now shuddered violently, as if the very air around them was thickening with menace.

Without a moment's thought, Theo reached out to the front seat, her hand finding Kate's and clasping it with desperate intensity, as if trying to draw strength and solace from that touch.

   Beside her, Javi seemed almost detached from the tension that crackled through the air, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth as he observed the sky. His eyes held a strange glint, a mix of anticipation and familiarity with the chaos about to unfold. "It's forming," he murmured, the words tinged with a sense of inevitability, as if he were speaking of something fated, a force of nature that had always been destined to appear. "Just like you called it."