This isn’t just a thunder storm, it is a full fledged wild storm that is growing. I feel the air pressure shift. The force of the wind pounds the house. The electricity has gone out. This is beyond my level of serenity. There isn’t any phone service. The lantern in the window next door lets us know Neighbor Song and Hae-in are alright. I pray my mother hasn’t heard anything about this storm she will only worry. The wind whistles around the house like a shrieking demon. We are huddled in the bathroom. Gong Yoo is shaking so hard I fear for his heart. Auntie Ji An has her prayer beads. One by one the Buddhist beads click. I don’t have my Rosary but I am repeating each line of it in my head.

We hear the roar of a train, only it isn’t a train, its a water spout transformed into a tornado! Auntie Ji An takes Gong Yoo into the shower stall and I join them. My heart hammers hard inside of me as we crouch down together. The thing shrieks. We hear debris striking the house. A window shatters, and then another. Gong Yoo howls. I want to howl too. How long is this going to last? The sound spins away and suddenly all we can hear is rain. Heavy hard rain. We wait in the shower fearful another tornado might be spawned. The wind suddenly stops shrieking, the rain becomes less violent.

From the front room Hae-in calls out in English, “Are y’all okay?”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

In unison, Auntie Ji An and I shout, “Yes!”

The bathroom door opens. The beam of a flashlight sweeps the room.Hae-in enters. He is wearing a fisherman’s rain coat and hat. He puts the flashlight on the toilet tank and comes to the shower. He reaches for Auntie Ji An. She hands Gong Yoo off to me. The little dog is breathing hard. Hae-in takes Aunties’s arm and helps her out of the shower. He tells her, “You have lost some windows. We didn’t get any damage. Granny wants me take you to her.”

“Okay,” Auntie Ji An clings to Hae-in for a moment before she turns to me for Gong Yoo. I hand the little dog over.

I watch Hae-in offer his arm to me. I latch onto it harder than I did when I saw that rat. I am shaking. For just a moment, he pulls me close and says, “Its gonna be okay.” I nod and he releases me. I look up at him. His eyes are full of concern and relief. He picks up the flash light and grabs hold of Auntie Ji An’s right elbow. She is unsteady. We head down the hall.

Auntie Ji An says, “I need to get my meds.” Hae-in flashes the light in her room. The windows are intact. She gets her medication and an overnight bag. She tells me, “You best get some stuff too.” We all head into my room. Auntie Ji An lets out a low groan when she sees the room. The window is gone. Glass shards sparkle in the light. My pallet is covered in them. The wardrobe doors have been blown open. I glance at the chest of drawers. By some miracle, Emily’s card is still there. It didn’t get blown away and I am grateful.