For Experimental Purposes Only

Chapter 9 (Jason)

Tornado sirens screamed outside.

Isa ran to my mattress and threw herself into my arms. She was crying and covering her ears.

"It's okay, Isa. It's only a warning." I held her tighter. Lighting cracked outside. Isa cried harder.

I was debating going downstairs to the bomb shelter. The only problem is that the bomb shelter was outside, and I didn't know how to get into it.

It felt like the house was shaking. We could just go downstairs to the living room. But there were more windows and I didn't know how safe it actually was.

I don't know why but the pounding thunder somehow triggered my PTSD. The screaming child, the banging and harsh lighting and sirens. Everything just rushed back into my brain.

I'm not sure long I sat there picturing my father banging on the basement door as police cars pulled into our driveway. Thinking about how I hid under the trashy blanket I called my covers. How that police officer pulled me out of the house and into the crowd of curious people.

I snapped out of it when the small attic window shattered. The glass falling over Vee's couch. A gray wind blowing in dried leaves and dust. It wasn't a warning it was a tornado. And we had to go.

I turned Isa around so that she could face me. Everything was suddenly in a gray filter.

"Isa, listen to me. We're gonna do something really scary. But you need to be brave for me. That'll be easy though right."

No, it won't be easy at all.

She gave a tearful nod. "Yeah, because I'm a brave princess."

I wiped her tears. "Okay, I need you to do everything I say."

She nodded and grabbed her tiny hand. I dragged her downstairs. The T.V. was still on.

I just looked blankly at the door for a second. It was just a gray mess. I could hear the kitchen window shatter.

The storm was bad. But it was going to get worse. I could see trees falling in the distance. We had to get to the shelter fast.

I opened the front door. The force of the wind pushing against me. Isa screamed "No" and hid behind me.

"Isa, I'm going to let you go out first. Go behind the house to the metal thing in the ground. I'll be right behind you."

Come on, Isa!

Isa went out. She stayed close to the house. I could barely hear anything but I was able to make out the sound of her whimpering.

Parts of the roof flew off. I couldn't help but think about how all out stuff was being destroyed. My phone was up there. I had no way to contact David. And a strong part of me really wished he was here right now.

Stuff was flying at us in all directions. It felt like we were walking a high wire just trying to make it through the yard. And after what felt like forever we were finally to the bomb shelter.

The entrance was small and round and looked kinda like a safe in the old fashioned bank heist movies. I tried to open it like a safe and to my surprise, it worked.

Bigger pieces of metal roof and trees flew at us. I could barely see the long latter that led underground. I yelled as loud as I could for Isa to go down.

She climbed down the latter. I was just now realizing how soaked we both were.

Before I climbed into the shelter I looked up. I saw this terrifying black collum swirling down near the city. Coming closer in all it's destructive glory. I couldn't look away. It seemed like the world was ending.

My vision went black.

I heard Isa scream. It was muffled by the sound a microphone makes when you drop it. I felt a sharp pain in my head. Like something exploded. Maybe something did.