This is a fictional story I wrote for this week's "Writer's Post Blog Hop".
There was little warning before the storm hit. Sure there were tornadowarnings out for the area, but there had been millions of storm warnings in the past that resulted in nothing more than some downed limbs or power lines. Why would anyone have believed this storm system would be any different? It was though. The storm sirens blasted the deserted landscape. The wind picked up and the trees whipped violently. The sky lit up with the jagged lightning that crossed the sky. The rain poured, and hail pelted the ground.
Terrified, she sat huddled with her children in a hallway with pillows and blankets their only protection. The lightning crackled and the thunder rolled. Armed with a flashlight, she tried desperately to calm her children’s worse fears as the storm raged outside. Crack! And then a resounding crash and the lights were extinguished leaving the house in utter darkness. Before the storm sirens could sound again, a massive tornado touched down to the ground exploding buildings and tossing vehicles in its destructive wake.
The mother and children sat huddled praying as the roof was lifted from the house. The walls seem to explode and debris flew landing all around them. After what seemed like moments of chaos and deafening sound, all was silent. The neighborhood was gone with only piles of debris left. The storm ripped through the region leaving a mile wide path of destruction and devastation in its wake. The crying and screams of terror were silenced and the storm was gone as quickly as it had come.
Sirens blared as fire trucks and emergency vehicles made their way to the devastation. They stopped periodically as they maneuvered passed fallen trees and sparking power lines that blocked the way. Firefighters dug through the wreckage searching desperately for any survivors. None were found.
Amid the rubble lay the bodies that were taken unaware. Lying near the lifeless bodies of the mother and her children was a broken chain holding a pair of golden hearts and flowers. Hopes and dreams that once were lay in shambles. Except for a few small scratches, their bodies were miraculously unharmed. Their injuries were internal and to great. They were at peace. The storm that had raged and snuffed out their lives raged no more.
I want to tell you that I am the biggest scaredy cat that ever lived when it comes to scary rides. When I was a little girl my Dad kept baiting me all day asking if I wanted to ride the roller coaster. Hell, I thought he was going to feed me roller coasters were some form of pasta made by Chef Boyardee. I didn’t know!! I was little!! When you are a little kid pasta from a can is pure ambrosia. Then you get older and figure out what good food really tastes like!!
Finally the time came for me to ride the big rollercoaster at the state fair. I was a little worried as the coaster made its climb to the top. When I seen the steep drop I almost peed my pants!! I screamed my fool head off from that moment on. It scared the living be Je$u$ out of me. I swore that I would never get on a roller coaster again.
Before I married my husband we decided to go to Cedar Point. I had never been to Cedar Point before and looked forward to it. I discovered that Cedar Point had plenty of rides other than the roller coasters they were famous for. Having a grand ole time I allowed my husband to be to lead me into another line. I remember innocently asking what the ride was like that we were waiting for. He told me it was a peaceful ride though a space age terrain where friendly aliens waved happily at you while you passed. I had been to Disney World and honestly I had visions of the classic “It’s a Small World” ride. I didn’t think a thing about the fact that the line we were waiting in was so long. It never occurred to me to wonder about the teenagers eagerly waiting in line with us. Even when we approached the ride itself and climbed in, I still had no clue what I was in for.
All of a sudden the restraints came down across my chest locking me in. The ride began its slow ascent upward into pitch blackness. Finally reality started to dawn on me. Panicked I looked at the love of my life and asked “This isn’t a rollercoaster is it??” Before he could answer the car I was riding in plummeted quickly into the abyss. I screamed and screamed. The ride sped faster down and round finally coming to a stop. I almost seen G0d and $hit my pants.
When we were finally free of the roller coasterand in the sunshine I completely lost my mind. “That was a roller coaster!!! That was a roller coaster!!!” I hit him in the stomach as hard as I could. With him doubled over holding his gut I continued to rant, rave, and carry on. He was in the worst kind of trouble!! When it comes to rides I will never trust what my husband says about them again. I will always be forever wary.
On the upside, for the rest of the day I got a lot more adventurous. After all I had rode a roller coaster and lived to tell the tale, so maybe I could brave another scary ride!! The folks at NaBloPoMo were interested about when it would be good to have no alternative. If you ever want to get me on a scary ride, it is better to give me no other alternative because if I know about it you will never get me on it!! The only downside is that something like that only works once on me because after that I know better until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.
On the weeks of the small paychecks you simply can’t pay everyone that thinks they need paying. You pay the bills that take top priority and let the others slide, buy groceries, and put a little go-go juice in the vehicles. The thing about bills is no matter how much the bill collectors hound you and claim that if you don’t make the payment today over the phone, the world won’t come to an end if you don’t. We get paid on Fridays. It doesn’t matter if you call me Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. If you didn’t get paid the previous Friday, it is not happening this week. When I get the money, you get the money. It is what it is.
I have always had a home phone until recently. Then I realized that the only people that ever call on the home phone are telemarketers and the occasional bill collectors. In other words, the only people who actually ever called the house phone were those that I really don’t give a rats a$$ if I ever talk to. So in the grand scheme of things I decided that I really didn’t need a home phone so I canceled it. On the same line of thinking I figured out I didn’t have to pay over $250.00 a month to have a cell phone with unlimited everything. We gotStraight Talkpay as you go android phones that do absolutely everything my high priced T mobile phone could do and pay a jaw dropping $45.00 a month per line. That is only $90.00 a month for unlimited everything!! Ka-ching! I can just hear all the money I am saving!! Why pay more?? In the price wars, you lose T mobile!! It is what it is.
Although I am trying to lose weight, I accept the fact that it will be a rough and tough battle. Although when I look in the mirror I see a woman the size of a barn, I am always happy when I see people bigger than me when I am out and about. I know I am not a skinny Minnie, but if you don’t like the way I look you can look the other way. I am a work in progress!! It is what it is.
Even though my husband is quite vocal about his hatred of cats, I like them. I put up with his dogs and as long as he is married to me and I have breath in my body he will put up with my cats. I have seen him sneaking around petting cats when no one is looking, so he fools absolutely no one. For all his blustering about, he is gone more than he is not so if I want cats I will have cats. It is what it is.
I keep to myself, am not afraid to speak my mind, and will fight for my husband and kids. I am loyal to those I love and to my friends. I am gifted in the fact I can usually find something amusing in just about every situation. You will never have to guess what I am thinking because I tell it just like it is and rarely sugar coat things. I am what I am and it is what it is until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.
There was little warning before the storm hit. Sure there were tornado warnings out for the area, but there had been millions of storm warnings in the past that resulted in nothing more than some downed limbs or power lines. Why would anyone have believed this storm system would be any different? It was though. The storm sirens blasted the deserted landscape. The wind picked up and the trees whipped violently. The sky lit up with the jagged lightning that crossed the sky. The rain poured, and hail pelted the ground. 
Terrified, she sat huddled with her children in a hallway with pillows and blankets their only protection. The lightning crackled and the thunder rolled. Armed with a flashlight, she tried desperately to calm her children’s worse fears as the storm raged outside. Crack! And then a resounding crash and the lights were extinguished leaving the house in utter darkness. Before the storm sirens could sound again, a massive tornado touched down to the ground exploding buildings and tossing vehicles in its destructive wake.
The mother and children sat huddled praying as the roof was lifted from the house. The walls seem to explode and debris flew landing all around them. After what seemed like moments of chaos and deafening sound, all was silent. The neighborhood was gone with only piles of debris left. The storm ripped through the region leaving a mile wide path of destruction and devastation in its wake. The crying and screams of terror were silenced and the storm was gone as quickly as it had come.
Sirens blared as fire trucks and emergency vehicles made their way to the devastation. They stopped periodically as they maneuvered passed fallen trees and sparking power lines that blocked the way. Firefighters dug through the wreckage searching desperately for any survivors. None were found. 
