Call Me Back Home

Flood Warning

               "Maxine! Max, Max come back home!" I said as I shielded my eyes and ran through the rain. The wind was howling at what felt like 50 miles per hour, whipping around my dad and I. "It's gonna be okay we'll find her, I said I promised," My dad shouted back to me. Over the sound of the wind and rain, I heard a distant bark. I immediately thought it was Max and proceeded to call for her, "Max! I'm coming girl hang on!" I yelled out into the dark. "I hear her too, this way!" I followed my dad into the back yard as a few more barks came through to our ears. "We're coming, Maxie! Don't worry!" I yelled out into the darkness. My dad, still leading the way, suddenly stopped when he got to the field. "What's the matter, dad? Is she out on the field, I can't see too well in this rain," I said to him. He just walked forward and I followed. "There in the woods," he said. A bark. "We can't go in there sweetie" he took my hand and squeezed it tight "We have to, come on!" I said and tugged at his shirt, but he didn't move. "We'll come back tomorrow," he said in a flat voice and turned around to head home. I just stared wide eyed into the darkness of the woods, as Maxy's faint barking got further and further away. I let my legs go limp and broke down in tears on the ground. I didn't care if the grass was muddy or wet, I was just too sad and scared. I felt my dad pick me up and lead me back towards the house.

Once we got inside I changed once more and headed up to my room without speaking to my dad. I just sat on my bed in silence, only the rain on my windowsill was to be heard. I started to doze off when the rain settled down but that soon changed as my door opened to the sight of my mom. "Hey, I heard about Maxine, we'll all go and look for her tomorrow, I don't have work," She said softly with tired eyes gazing at me. I gestured out my arms wanting a hug and I received. "I want Max back," I said into her shoulder. "I know you do, but you best get some sleep so you'll have energy tomorrow," My mom said and left after she kissed my forehead. Shorty after that the rain started more heavily again as I drifted back to sleep. It was a light sleep because I woke up every time the thunder cracked in the sky outside of my window. While I was asleep I had an awful dream about Max being killed out in the woods. It scared me half to death when I woke up crying just thinking about it.

After I collected my thoughts I looked at my alarm clock that never beeped. 12:00 was just blinking so I didn't know what time it was and my phone was downstairs. I got dressed in a plain grey t-shirt, jeans, and my white flannel. Slipped on my red converse and headed downstairs. I heard my mom on the phone in another room and saw my dad watching the news as usual. Paying attention to nothing else I head for my phone on the counter. Clicking the home button I see the numbers 10:16, and read texts saying no school. I wasn't even mad. More time to look for Max, until I realized why as I looked out the back slider door. It looked like almost a foot and a half of muddy water, maybe more. I sat down next to my dad on the couch without a word and zoned out for a while, thinking about Max.

Fifteen minutes later my mom walked out of the dining room. "I just talked to Judy and she said that nothing was leaking. She also said she had some really good news. Before the flood started Rj saw Max and brought her in! They said they'll bring her back after the floods over," My mom said to my dad and I. "Really?! That's great I'm so excited to see her," My voice shook as I responded. "But there's one thing..." She said nervously "Max is injured and their not sure what hurt her, Judy said it looked like something slashed his shoulder area, Michaels tending to the wound so it wont it wont get infected,"