Author's Note: If you've been reading this this far, thank you so much and Im excited for the story now because this is where it gets very interesting and the action starts blowing in. Please leave comments if you may <3
Chapter Four
“Wow, this storm is crazy!” I shriek over the howling wind. There’s hail attacking our tin roof and making it sound ten times louder than it really is. Ellie and I are in the closet since there’s no windows or anything that could shatter and hurt either one of us. I have Ellie tucked under my arm like a football. I am definitely going to protect her with my life because I’m not losing this precious human being. I tried to call Jacqueline on the house phone but the power went out right as I was about to dial, so I grab my cell phone and start to punch in her number. I have to hit the delete button a lot because I’m shaking way too much. Ellie looks so panicked and when I see a tear fall down her cheek I can’t handle it. I wipe it away and comfort her as best I can but my anxiety is rising heartbeat by heartbeat. I don’t know how long I’m going to be able to keep this mask on so I dial Jacqueline’s number a lot faster so I don’t lose my sanity. Even though she has ADD, she can keep her cool very well. So well, in fact, I believe the doctors misdiagnosed her. When I hear her voice on the other end, my heart immediately soothes and a joyous tear falls down my own cheek. I am so ecstatic to hear her voice that I can’t contain myself.
“Jacqueline, are you okay over there? Has your power gone out? Where are you in your house? You’re safe, right??” I direct too many questions at her at once but I’m so surprised she answers them all right away.
“I am definitely okay, I’m so much more worried about you and Ellie, though. I don’t rightly know if my power went out cause I’m not home, I’m in my car driving over to your house right now and I’m safe enough, the wind hasn’t knocked my car sideways yet, so it’s a good day. So now my turn: are you okay? You’re anxiety isn’t too bad, is it? How’s Ellie?” she bounces back.
“My anxiety isn’t too bad at the moment” I lie through my teeth, since Ellie can hear me “and Ellie is doing okay, I am laying on top of her, probably crushing her, to make sure she stays safe and we’re in our hallway closet away from windows and such” I acknowledge her last question, trying to be lighthearted about the situation.
“Good, stay there and don’t move, you hear? I’ll be right there in a …. Oh wow, Jodie STAY THERE, there definitely IS a tornado, coming right at me. If I don’t make it to your house, just know I love you and Ellie very much, and don’t you forget me, you promise?” she dreadfully howls in my ear.
“No, Jacqueline, don’t leave me! You’re my only friend and my second sister, you’re the only one who understands me, please don’t go. Ellie and I need you, so much!” I plead into the receiver. We’ve been disconnected, the buzzing on the other end tells me. Tears stream don’t my face, I’m sobbing more than I have in my whole life, more than when Mom died. I don’t know how I’m going to cope in this world without the one person who understands me by my side; she’s my superhero, come to the rescue. When Mom died, she was the only one there for Ellie and I, to take care of us; she took over my mother’s spot in a way. She’s like the big sister I never had and I can’t imagine life without her. Now I know I have to step up big time for my sister. I drop the phone and finally hear her screeching in my ear. I wonder how long that’s been going on.
“JODIE, what’s happening??? You’re scaring me! Is Jacqueline okay? Please tell me she is!!” Ellie is panicking worse than me at school, and I can tell what that’s like, so I don’t want to scare her any more. Definitely not, so I lie again, for her sake. She’ll hate me later, but I don’t want her to panic any more, it’s scary seeing my little, fragile sister in this state.
“Yes, she’s fine. She said she thought the tornado was going to hit her house but right as her phone disconnected, she said it missed, thank goodness.”
“Jodie Leanne! I know when you’re lying and that’s happening right now. I can take any news you have to tell me, just don’t lie to me!” she pleads. I can’t lie to my sister with that look. So I tell her, even though it might hurt her so much. I guess she needs to know either way.. So, I prepare myself. I sit in thought for a minute or two and just think. I can feel a few tears rolling down my cheek and Ellie is pulling on my sleeve.
“Jacqueline was in her car on her way over here because she knows how my anxiety can get and she was worried about you as well. While she was talking to me on the phone just now, a tornado came right at her… But don’t make any assumptions, okay?” I quickly assess as I see a tear form in her beautiful left eye. She always cries more in her left than her right, which I never understand, it happens to me as well. “We don’t know if she….” I hesitate to make sure I word it right “was hit or not, she could have dodged it. So don’t cry until we know for sure, okay? We’ll be fine, I promise”, I huge Ellie as tightly as I can and land a long kiss on her head. My poor Ellie, not again. I don’t want her to have to go through the trauma she had to go through when mom died all over again. Although it’s extremely hard on me, it’s always harder on my selfless sister. My comforting didn’t work well because I still hear her sobbing in the back of my thoughts. I can’t even comprehend what’s happening. Life wasn’t perfect. Heck, no one’s is, but it was decent. When mom died, we bounced back, although it’s still hard, we managed. But we had Jacqueline. And she helped a ton. Now I don’t know what we’re going to do.
In the background, I hear a bang. We’ve been hearing a lot of bangs but this one sounded familiar, like our front door opening and closing. Did the wind really blow it open? But I don’t hear it anymore. Wouldn’t it bang more than once if it opened? Who cares. Not me. Not anymore. The only thing I have to care about anymore is Ellie, and I will care for her to the ends of the Earth, protect her with my life. I’m not losing anyone else. And I’m not letting anyone else in so we can’t possibly lose someone else that means the world to us. I don’t remember when, but suddenly I’ve fallen asleep and I’m immersed in a wonderful dream.
