Doe Hollow

Storms

An ominous cloud formation loomed in the sky over the horizon, making their slow way toward Doe Hollow. A long, shrill tone emitted from the small radio on the Sparks' front porch, interrupting the song AJ had been absently bobbing his head to. The automated National Weather Service message proclaimed severe thunderstorm warnings for most of Western Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

"Looks like you're not going home tonight," AJ observed, turning his attention to the slowly oncoming clouds. James followed his gaze and frowned.

"Your parents won't mind if I stay?" He asked skeptically.

"Nah," AJ replied, "but you'll have to sleep in the guest room." James nodded.

"How bad do you think it will be?" He asked. AJ shrugged.

"It's hard to say but from the looks of it we'll probably lose power," he guessed. Both men turned their attention as the front door opened. Ronnie leaned out and surveyed the horizon.

"AJ, take James to the shed and y'all bring the generator up to the porch," he requested thoughtfully. "We're liable to need it." As he reentered the house, AJ rose from his seat and James followed him off the porch and around the side of the house. In the two months since the newspaper scandal, the hype surrounding Abby's story had faded, allowing the Sparks family to return to normalcy. James had become a frequently recurring visitor in their home and was easily becoming part of the family.

As AJ and James manhandled the big, old generator up the porch steps, Abby met them at the front door.

"Supper's ready," she announced. Her brother and boyfriend dropped the generator a little harder than they should have in their haste to follow her into the house.

"It's going to be a bad one," Virginia mused, closing the kitchen window against the chilly October wind as the family all joined her in the kitchen. After everyone was seated and the food had been blessed, AJ rose quickly and turned on Virginia's small kitchen radio, lowering the volume of the Southern Gospel station to a low hum.

"Just in case there's another storm warning," he explained, returning to the table. The family ate and made pleasant conversation, but their general mood was somber, darkening along with the sky. By the time they finished dinner, the dogs whined in the garage and the wind howled around the corners of the house. James tried to help Abby clear the table as Virginia ran water to wash the dishes, but Abby pushed him away from the table playfully. He kissed her forehead and followed Ronnie and AJ back to the front porch where they did what any rational Kentuckians would do: sit outside while a severe thunderstorm brewed overhead.

"Go get the oil lamps," Virginia ordered as Abby set a stack of plates beside the sink. "I'll finish this. Abby obediently headed upstairs to fetch the lamps from the attic.

A sudden, terrible clap of thunder startled Virginia and she dropped the plate she was washing back into the sink. She wiped her hands on a dish towel and hurried to the front door. The men had left it open, and she called to them through the screen door,

"Y'all better get inside!" Ronnie laughed, but all three men stood from their seats just as an even louder clap of thunder boomed across the sky, causing them all to jump. As Virginia held the screen door open for the men to enter, yet another loud boom shook them, followed by the sound of breaking glass.

"Where's Abby?" AJ demanded. Virginia winced.

"I sent her to the attic after the oil lamps," she replied. They heard the screen door to the back porch clatter and all four of them nearly fell over each other scrambling to the kitchen. One of the oil lamps lay broken in the floor. Virginia grabbed her dish towel and stooped to pick up the glass, yelling "Go get her!" AJ flew out the back door, followed closely by James and Ronnie, respectively.