Elemental

Chapter Four (Revised)

The nearest place was their neighbors, the Smiths. The Smiths lived about a mile away. Jade held Charlie's hand as they started walking in the direction of their neighbors. They followed a gravel road.

The Smiths were nice family. They had a daughter that was almost three years old. As Jade and Charlie got closer to their neighbors' house, Jade started to worry. What if the deadly tornado had hit the Smiths too?

Charlie soon saw the house and started running. It seemed like he had stored up a ton of energy and was now setting it free. Jade had to sprint to keep up with her little brother.

The sun was starting its climb down towards Earth again. Jade guessed it was about four o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, her stomach growled. Jade had not eaten since dinner the day before! Neither had Charlie. Charlie knocked at the front door about fifteen times. No answer. No lights were on. Charlie opened the surprisingly unlocked door and stepped right inside.

Jade and Charlie had a silent agreement with just one look. They would search the house for their neighbors separately. Jade searched upstairs. Nobody. She searched on the main floor. Nothing. Jade even double checked the basement after Charlie had searched. The only living thing she had found was the Smith family cat, Kip.

Kip was shy, but had grown to be comfortable with Jade and Charlie. Kip was all snowy white colored except for his light gray paws. Kip only went into the basement when he was scared. Jade picked him up carefully. Kip cooed at her as Jade carried him upstairs.

Charlie had turned on the TV. Suddenly, Jade had an idea. She set Kip down by his food bowl and rushed over to the remote. Jade turned the local news channel on.

"Sorry, Charlie, but this is more important than Elmo." Jade told her little brother.

Charlie pouted and went over to pet Kip. Jade turned her attention back to the TV. A women was talking about where Jade and Charlie lived.

"... After the horrifying level five tornado ripped through the small town, it surprisingly only destroyed one home. We went and investigated, but the house was literally carried away." A picture of blank land showed up on the screen. "The entire house including the forest around it has just disappeared into the wind. Unfortunately, there was a family still inside the house when the tornado struck. John Peterson and his wife, Carolyn had two children, age 12 and age 5 who all died in the horrible disaster. No bodies were found, but the house is completely gone"

Jade turned off the Smith's TV. Jade suddenly remembered that the Smiths had gone to town that morning. They should have passed the Peterson home right as the tornado struck.

Jade didn't know what to do. Her parents were dead. The Smiths were dead. The world thought she and Charlie were dead.

"Time to go, Charlie." Jade said to her little brother. She was not sure what she was going to do, but Jade wanted to leave.

"Kippy, too!" Charlie always said this when they were leaving the Smith's house after a visit. Finally, his dream came true. Jade set Kip into her faded orange backpack and zipped it so there was space for him to breath.

The weight of the backpack had definitely grown. Jade opened the front door and let Charlie out. She followed and shut the door behind him. Charlie grabbed Jade's hand as she started leading them forward. They walked forward for about three minutes before a large shadow engulfed the pair of children.

Jade looked up. What she saw made her shriek.