On the day Natalie Nash turned thirteen years old, she
told her classmates at Ridge Junior High School that she feared
nothing.
But fear was the only thing the students had on their
minds that day, as a torrential rainfall threatened to wash away the
quaint town of Fernville.
The concern was so great that students were sent home
just before noon that Wednesday. Mayor Tillson issued a warning to all
residents. Evacuation was imminent.
“Natalie!” Josh crossed the puddle-laden road to meet
Natalie in front of the school. “Can I carry your books home today?”
“I think you’d best carry your own books.” Natalie
scowled. “And carry them to your own home!”
“It’s stopped raining,” the boy observed. “It doesn’t
look like any disaster is coming to me.”
“You heard the principal,” she reminded him. “We are
to go straight home. Our parents will be taking us to Howard City
where there’s higher ground, and safety.”
“I’ll protect you, Natalie!” Josh grinned.
“Yeah, right.”
Suddenly, the sound of an automobile horn sliced
through the air. Josh turned to see his father rolling down
the window of his family’s car. He motioned with one hand.
“Come on, you two!” Mr. Riley demanded. “The dam is critical—get in the car! I’ll take you home, Natalie.”
Natalie politely shook her head.“I’ll be okay, Mr.
Riley. Besides, my dad may be headed in this direction
himself to pick me up at any moment.”
Mr. Riley reluctantly agreed. Josh scrambled into the
front passenger seat.
“I’ll see you as soon as this mess is over, and it’s
safe to go back to school.” Josh shouted as the vehicle sped
away.
The sky rumbled.
Rain fell.
Oh no!
Natalie put her schoolbooks over her head to shield
herself from the downpour. Is this rain ever going to end? She
grimaced.
Passing a small picket fence, the girl decided to cut
through a wooded area. She’d traveled the short-cut to her house many
times, and the trees would offer some shelter from the rain.
She ventured deeper into the woods. The sky darkened.
Natalie checked the sky. Thick black clouds rolled over-head, high
above the canopy of trees.
(continued)