A Good Man Awakens

Chapter 25: The Storm

A storm had rolled in quicker than anyone had expected. The morning had started with a peaceful stillness, the sun casting a golden glow over the farm as we went about our usual work. But by mid-afternoon, the winds had picked up, whipping through the fields and bending the trees with their force. Dark clouds gathered overhead, swirling ominously, and with a low rumble of thunder, the sky opened up.

At first, it was a light drizzle, but within moments, the rain fell in torrents, drumming against the roofs and turning the dirt paths into rivers of mud. The entire landscape shifted from serene to threatening in a matter of minutes. The small river that ran alongside the farm, usually calm and shallow, had swollen into a fast-moving torrent, the water crashing against its banks, threatening to spill over.

By the time the storm hit its peak, everyone had been woken. The house shook with the force of the wind, the walls creaking as if they might give way. Ged was the first out of bed, barking orders as he moved quickly, knowing the livestock were in danger. Without them, the farm wouldn't survive the season, and the loss would be catastrophic. Losing even a few of the animals would set the farm back so much that recovering would be near impossible.

"Reece, get to the pens! The river's about to overflow!" Ged's voice thundered through the house, louder than the storm itself.

Reece groaned, pulling on his boots with a scowl. "Why do I always get stuck with this job?" he muttered, but the urgency in Ged's voice left no room for argument. Without waiting for me to follow, Reece grabbed a lantern and rushed out the door, heading straight for the lower pens where the animals were kept.

I hesitated for a moment, pulling on my boots, the air thick with tension. The animals were panicking, their frantic cries cutting through the storm like knives. I knew that if we didn't act quickly, the rising waters would breach the pens, and there would be no saving them. The farm depended on those animals. If they drowned or were swept away, Ged's entire livelihood would be ruined.

I grabbed my coat and followed Reece out into the storm. The rain came down so hard it felt like tiny daggers on my skin, instantly soaking me to the bone. My boots sloshed in the thick mud as I sprinted toward the pens, barely able to see through the sheets of rain.

Sophia was right behind me. I didn't hear her at first, but as I reached the barn, her voice cut through the storm. "I'm coming with you!" she called, though she stayed back, knowing she'd only get in the way if things became dangerous. Still, I could see the worry etched on her face, the way her eyes flicked toward the animals.

The pens were in chaos. The water was rising faster than I'd anticipated, already ankle-deep and climbing. The sheep and goats were bleating in terror, crowding together against the far side of the pen, trying to escape the flood. The horses were rearing up, kicking at the gate, their eyes wide with panic. If they broke loose, they'd be gone, swept away in the raging waters.

Reece was already in the middle of it all, shouting and waving his arms as if he could control the animals by sheer force of will. "Get back! Get away from the gate!" he yelled, but the animals paid him no mind. They were too scared, too wild.

I could see it in Reece's face—the panic that had settled in. He was out of his depth, and he knew it. He looked over his shoulder at me, desperation flickering in his eyes for a brief second, but pride held him back from asking for help.

The rain pounded down harder, the wind tearing through the trees, sending branches crashing to the ground. The noise was deafening, but underneath it all, I could hear the river, its roar growing louder, more menacing, as the water surged higher and higher.

"We need to move them now!" I shouted over the storm, stepping into the pen beside Reece. The mud sucked at my boots, making every step a struggle. "If that gate breaks, they're gone!"