| Seeking Shelter: Beyond The Heat | Part 2 |
By Jack10
Posted 22 Jul 2012 01:08 Category: Short Story |
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"Just drive, dad!"
Mable and List were in the truck with the rest of their family, fleeing from the freak warm front. Jelly was in between List and Mable, sitting quietly in her high-chair. List was slightly irritated by this, but he could not stay calm. "Dad, take us to the firehouse or the CNN center! Maybe someone knows what to do. We definitely couldn't have stayed at home..." "List, be quiet while your father is driving. He's stressed enough as it is and he's the only one who can drive." List sighed silently and went back to watching the scenery outside. It wasn't as hot here, they had escaped what his father had called the Danger Zone. Outside his window, he could see people packing and thought sadly how they didn't have time to grab much. As soon as his dad had been woken up by Jelly's whimpering he had told everyone to grab what they needed most and get in the truck. "Daddy, when do you think the hot will go away?" List's father turned to look at his children at the old stoplight and appeared uncertain. "I'm sure it'll be gone in a week or less. Heat waves never last long..we can find a nice little inn to stay in until it blows over." Mable looked reassured and Jelly's chubby little face brightened a little, but List knew his dad was in denial about the heat wave advancing. The question List had asked himself repeatedly the whole two hours they had been driving was if the heat would ever stop. *** The hotel room was small, with just one little queen bed, a tiny bathroom, a minifridge, and a television on a stool. But it would do; Mable and their mother had grabbed a few blankets as they fled the house. List sat down at the foot of the bed, and switched on the ancient box TV. "...And the heat wave is estimated to have spread some 13 miles in the last twelve hours, covering Jackson and the surrounding towns and cities. Stay tuned for more information as the story unfolds." List looked out the windows, at the slightly polluted town. He didn't know where he was, or why they had to stop here. He wanted to keep on driving until they got to the ocean. "List, what's wrong?" Mable could be so annoying sometimes, as most nine-year olds are. But sometimes List actually wanted to hug his little sister, and just believe her clueless ramblings that everything was fine and all was as it seemed. But he couldn't, when the air outside was still shimmering. <<<Previous Next>>> |
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