A Weathered Past #Wattys2016

Chapter 1

Mom always worried about me, even as a kid. But with all that went down a year ago it had gotten to the point of at least two phone calls a day. I understood why mom worried about me, but there was only so much I could handle."Make sure all the doors and windows are locked before you go to bed. Also, I hope you stocked your refrigerator because I heard that the storm isn't going to calm down soon."

I sighed into the phone, " mom this isn't the first time I've been alone in a storm. And I'm not actually alone, I've got Woolsey to keep me company." On hearing his name, his furry head popped and looked at me. Woolsey was just a cub when I had adopted him about two years ago. He had been dropped off at the animal shelter I volunteered at, he was underweight, sick and scared of everything that moved. The minute the little black wolf was given a green light from the vet I took him home and we've inseparable ever since.

"I'm sorry honey, I know I'm being overbearing again but I can't help it. I wish you came up here like your brother did," Mom replied.

"I know you do but I had work today and I would have gotten caught in the storm if I had to make the drive now." I said and rubbed my face. All our conversations in the past few days seemed to go down this road. "Mom, I'm at home, it's going to get so bad that people won't be able to travel and since you still aren't convinced I'm safe, I have my taser gun under my pillow, and you and 911 on speed dial."

There was muffled shouting and ruffling before grandma yelled a 'hello' into the phone. "Did you get home okay?"

I laughed. Grandma was the exact opposite of my mother, she was fierce, always spoke her mind and never worried about a thing. She was always the one who calmed down the heated argument that took place between mom and me, "I got home just fine."

"Good. Now go enjoy a movie or something." She said before disconnecting. I chuckled and got off the couch and went into the kitchen to make some dinner. It was a little early but I had nothing else to do. I had my refrigerator and kitchen cabinets stocked for the next two weeks, just like mom told me. I took out a packet of pasta and put it on to boil.

The last time there was a storm I couldn't get sleep at all, when I did I would wake up in a cold sweat a few hours later. I would always choose insomnia over nightmares, especially nightmares of him. Kevin Gibson was the man who managed to ruin my life in the pan of three years. I lost my friends, my family, my apartment and even my job. While I did manage to get my friends and family back, I couldn't live in the same house with everything that reminded me of him. My job was something that I had picked as a stepping stone in my career and being personal assistant to Mr. Jax Mitchel wasn't all that bad. Kevin had made me quit the job had for three years all because he thought I was sleeping with my boss. The day I had handed in my two weeks notice Mr. Mitchel was furious. He wasn't satisfied with a reason as simple as 'personal issues'. Needless to say, my last two weeks there were my hardest, seeing as my boss and friend refused to talk to me, and I had to say bye to everyone had I become close to. Going back there once it was all over was simply impossible. I shook myself, ridding myself of all the thoughts of him and concentrated on my pasta.

A while later the storm had picked as the lightening began. The storm was taking it's time to get to its peak and it was making me agitated. I just wanted it to be over, instead of being holed in the house with constant loud sounds in the sky over the next two days like the weather man had predicted. I stirred the pasta one last time before covering the pot and letting it simmer in its own heat. I hat taken my time cooking it and stretched an hours job into a longer one. The doorbell rang and Woolsey was immediately on his feet. I went to the door and looked through the peephole, no one was supposed to be traveling in this kind of weather, and I definitely wasn't expecting anybody. A tall man stood with his back towards the door. I frowned and pulled the door open, letting in a little of the rain and cool breeze.